Ohangwena Governor Kadiva Nghipondoka-Hamutumwa has urged the regional leadership to lead with integrity, accountability, and professionalism.
She was addressing the leaders and public servants at the strategic performance review of the region in Eenhana.
The Ohangwena Governor emphasised the importance of traditional authorities as custodians of customs, values, and communal land administrations.
Nghipondoka-Hamutumwa noted that their leadership remains critical for preserving cultural heritage, promoting social cohesion, resolving disputes and guiding grassroots development initiatives.
She acknowledged the role of traditional leaders as a bridge between government structures and the people.
The governor added that the strategic plans under review for the Ohangwena region are firmly anchored in the country's development goals and aligned with commitments in the Swapo Party manifesto.
"For the people of Ohangwena, these commitments must translate into tangible outcomes, reliable water supply, improved rural roads, decent sanitation, accessible health and education services, safe communities and economic opportunities, particularly for our youth."
She elaborated on her vision of "Ohangwena as the Singapore of Namibia".
"I mean that we can draw inspiration from the Singapore model of leadership and governance, adopting its valuable lessons to our own regional context. Singapore demonstrates ethical, merit-based leadership with clear accountability, authority matched by responsibility and performance as non-negotiable. Long-term planning combined with disciplined execution – alignment between plans, budgets and timelines."
This Singapore-inspired model of leadership also includes strong coordination between institutions working together.
It also highlights the importance of having a citizen-centred governance structure and continuously investing in institutional capacity and human capital.
"For Ohangwena, this means strengthening integrity, enforcing consequence management, aligning strategies with budgets, improving coordination across institutions, investing in skills, and ensuring that governance remains people-focused."
The region has set up four strategic priorities for 2026, guided by NDP6, namely the establishment of a textile manufacturing factory, the development of a large-scale agriculture project at Ekoka, the commencement of the construction of a NUST campus at Eenhana, and the expansion of water supply projects.