Why are the peripheries of this country still underdeveloped more than 2 decades after independence compared to the central regions? The executive power of the government is too centralised. Development initiatives are judged at national level as urgent or necessary at present through the lenses of equality and not equity. What is necessary at national level is not what is necessary at regional level, therefore some regions lag behind because what is important to them is not important for those who make the final call. Some regions especially in the north remains behind despite them being SWAPO strongholds when it comes to support and elections. There is only one solution to this, decentralise the executive power of the government. Although the national leadership thinks they are doing so, there is one big obstacle: the presidential appointment of regional governors. These governors may be foreign to these regions and at most not of the same heart and mind with the locals, therefore, in the end they will play loyal to their appointees than to the people they should advocate development for. I believe the appointment of governors is a ploy by SWAPO to cling onto power and it defeats the purpose of democracy, as it does not make sense for a region dominated by an opposition party to be headed by someone from a different party. The head and the body has to be in harmony, for one to thrive. What should we do? Just as we vote for the councillors let us vote for our governors, people who will drive our development agenda. These governors should exercise the executive powers with minimal interference in their regions. This has some advantages: 1. The will of the people is advocated for by someone they chose and the much needed development will start show as its ideology originates from the region itself with participation from the locals. GRASS ROOT DEVELOPMENT 2. It strengthens democracy in the country and it also enhances accountability on the part of the governors and the ruling party, because If the party leaders in that region are not delivering, then the local would easily vote for someone who would in the next elections. Although this will make the country more of federal state and less of a unitary state as given by our constitution, it is an idea that that deserve a careful thought. It is actually better to amend the constitution with the populace at heart, than doing it for what seems like personal gratification and power grabbing. Just in case you dont know, I was born, still am and will always be SWAPO. #JIS9412
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 08:01:13 +0000