The City of Windhoek (CoW) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work on agreed areas of cooperation with 16 local authorities.
The areas of cooperation include, amongst other things, capacity building and resource sharing as well as solid waste management.
“It is important to note that the purpose of this important collaboration is to help local authorities to continue to improve, improve and perform by building the capacity and capability of the sector effectiveness and receiving,” Erastus Uutoni, the Minister of Urban and Rural Development said at the signing of the agreements.
“The MoU should provide for a strong, comprehensive and effective package of support for the local government sector, which focuses on supporting the development of strong and effective political leadership, driving efficiency, productivity and innovation challenge and support from sharing good practice across the sector,” Uutoni added.
At the same event, the City of Windhoek’s Mayor Joseph Uapingene spoke on the importance of collaboration for development.
“By entering into this MoU, we become a network of local authorities that stands strong and united in the pursuit of sustainable development, effective governance and improved quality of life for all our residents. Let us embrace these partnerships and all to help each to implement the identified project of mutual interest,” Uapingene said.
According to the City’s Chief Executive Officer Moses Matyayi, the City has welcomed four new local authorities namely Okahandja Municipality, Okahao Town Council, Ruacana Town Council and Tsandi Village Council and renewed the agreement with 12 local authorities.
“We will be renewing and we are welcoming four local authorities out of it, and definitely 12 municipalities and 12 town councils,” Matyayi said.
The areas of cooperation include human resources development, solid waste and sewerage management, town planning, councilors’ exchanges, technical, engineering and infrastructure development as well as financial management systems.