By: Rodney Pienaar
Urban and rural development minister, Peya Mushelenga, has said that there is much-needed improvement at the Rehoboth town council amidst corruption allegations against council officials.
The minister said that the ministry representative, Natali Goagoses has been working on a formula to improve the council.
The methods ranged from team building, stakeholders engagements and more importantly strengthening the governance and operational systems of the council. The representative submits monthly reports and there are visible improvements.
“All local authorities including Rehoboth have over the past year benefited from capacity building interventions by the ministry. In addition to this formal capacity building supports local authorities on an ongoing basis have always received on-demand advice and assistance from the ministry,” he said.
The ministry also sent teams to carry out in-depth diagnostic investigations, and onsite advice and assistance to the council to address shortcomings on the spot.
“It is important to note that in terms of the principle of administrative justice, our intervention was preceded by an investigation to confirm rot and mismanagement by the council that was reported by the community,” he said.
Mushelenga also said that from the investigations and continued failure of the council to change despite the various supportive interventions by the ministry,it was a clear indication that the council was failing to collectively exercise the powers and perform the duties and functions assigned to a Local Authority in terms of Section 30 of the Local Authorities Act, 23 of 1992 as amended.
