Let’s embrace urbanisation: Schlettwein

WINDHOEK, 20 JUN  – Despite growing concerns that urbanisation is putting local authorities under pressure to deliver services and causes mushrooming of shacks in towns, it should be embraced if realising Vision 2030 is anything to go by.
This sentiment was shared by Finance Minister, Calle Schlettwein, when he contributed to a discussion on the mushrooming of shacks in urban areas in the National Assembly on Monday.
The discussion was moved by United Democratic Front President, Apius Auchab.
He explained that Namibia intends to be a fully-fledged industrialised nation by the year 2030, and this can only be achieved through urbanisation.
“Urbanisation is where development is coming from,” he added, noting that the challenge for the government and local authorities alike is to create a conducive environment for development.
This could be done through the provision of infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity to ensure that there is food security.
“In most cases, industrialisation happens in urban settings,” he said.
Disagreeing with Schlettwein was Rally for Democracy and Progress Secretary General (SG), Mike Kavekotora, who said the economy should be decentralised.
If it goes that way, he argued there will be no reasons as to why people would want to move to urban areas considering that most regions have competitive economic advantages.
Backing his stance, he reminded the August House that each region has an economic advantage; Erongo has fish, //Kharas has diamonds, Hardap has sheep while Kunene has beef or cattle.
Kavekotora stressed that diamonds are currently extracted from //Kharas but the value addition is done in Windhoek and thus called for a value addition plant in that part of the country, so as to benefit the people there.
The former TransNamib boss added that the same can be done for all other regions.
NAMPA