The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, James Sankwasa, has reminded regional and local authority councillors that they do not have executive powers.

Sankwasa addressed an induction workshop for the recently elected councillors.

The induction workshop was held at Mariental, themed 'Accountability is the bedrock of effective governance to achieve effective service delivery'.

Attending were representatives from the Hardap, ||Kharas and Omaheke regions.

"There are no two executive power levels in the Republic of Namibia. If any regional or local authority council believes it can operate independently, similar to a federal state, it must be prepared to function without relying on the central government, as its operations do not align with the legal parameters of the constitution and other relevant laws of the Republic."

Sankwasa unequivocally stated that Namibians should receive preferential treatment in procurement processes.

"Why do I come to that conclusion? Because, from my perspective, change comes in two forms: either we transform this country, regional councils, and local authorities step by step—that is a change—or we achieve change through revolution, and we are going to take the second one, which is revolution as change, because 35 years is too long. We have to create a revolution."

Sankwasa warned political office bearers that they would be held accountable for failing to fulfil their duties within the set legal framework. 

Hardap Governor Riaan McNab called on the workshop participants to cultivate a people-centred approach toward serving their respective communities. 

"Our communities expect dedication; they expect accountability and hard work from those who are entrusted with leadership. We must therefore remain committed to serving our people with integrity and ensuring that public resources are managed responsibly."

The governor further urged for the implementation of the government's national development plans.