High hopes for Garden Town
… mayor promises to restore the glory days at Okahandja
Landless People’s Movement ( LPM) local authority councillor for Okahandja, who also doubles as the town’s mayor Natasha Brinkman says a clear management plan will be put in place to enable council members to keep track of their progress and challenges related to housing provision, the dilapidated roads, provision of serviced land, and cleanliness of the town to take Okahandja back to its former glory.
Over the years, Okahandja municipal council administrators have been struggling and finding it hard to get the town to where it is used to be as a clean and attractive once revered Garden Town of Namibia.
On a tour around Okahandja, one would find that people are living in deplorable living conditions, while piles of waste have become an eyesore around most of the town.
Brinkman said she is very humbled to present her plans for Okahandja town as the newly elected mayor.
She, however, said her priority is to address the issue of land where the needs of the landless must be immediately addressed.
“I have lived in Okahandja for the past 26 years and have seen the degradation of the once-revered Garden Town of Namibia. The town’s rundown infrastructure from parks, roads to public buildings is a sore sight; the filth in our suburbs and informal settlements is anyone’s wonder how humans can live in such deplorable conditions. This and many more are what inspired me to run for office. I do not promise overnight miracles – but together with the council, we will work for hand in hand to demonstrate that ‘Restoring the dignity of our people’ is not a mere slogan of my party,” Brinkman pledged.
She vowed to propose consultations with the business
community and the entire public, assisted by the council, to identify key strategic issues that will frame their strategic objectives.
This, Brinkman believes, will enable the entire community to have input and share ownership of the strategic plan.
Equally, she says this will also put the community in a position to hold the council accountable. Furthermore, she
indicated the focus will be directed towards industrialisation and commercialisation through the delivery of fast, efficient and equitable services to the residents of Okahandja.
It is important that as councillors, they take the mandate the people have given them seriously, adding it is important that the council effectively manage the resources of the town.
“I am cognisant of the fact that the residents of Okahandja elected us to be accountable to them. I plan to introduce a management action plan to the council, which will be translated into a tactical strategy to link our budget to our resources. This plan will ensure we draw a parallel between our objectives and activities to achieve set goals,” she noted.