By Josef Kefas Sheehama
Despite the Namibian government’s investment of hundreds of millions of dollars over 32 years in various strategies to support all regions, high unemployment rates, lack of opportunities, and declining entrepreneurship development continue to plague the regions.
To appoint suitable mayors, councils, and governors, local authority leaders should undergo public interviews. The appointment process should be based on expertise rather than political affiliations. While political parties have well-qualified loyal members, individuals who want to be appointed as mayor, council, or governor should have experience and expertise in commerce. The process of appointments must be clear and transparent, and appointments must be made for those who are qualified to take on those positions.
The lack of vision, inefficiency and poor economic skills of these leaders have resulted in the decline in service delivery and economic development in all 14 regions. The magnitude of this failure is astonishing. For any leader to be successful, they must have good knowledge of the economy, but many of our leaders do not even understand basic economic principles such as demand and supply. Therefore, it is crucial for regional leaders to integrate informal economy issues into the overall youth development issues.
Mayors, councils, and governors need to disseminate useful information and provide SMEs with valuable expertise and guidance, helping businesses develop leadership skills and build strong teams. Mentorship and coaching programs can foster innovation and entrepreneurship, contributing to a dynamic business environment. An SME information centre should be established across all 14 regions specifically to provide information to SMEs on developments relating to market movements, and the latest developments, and assist in linking SME operators to service providers at affordable rates.
SMEs contribute more than 12% of GDP, and some global estimates put this figure as high as 70%. They are also engines of economic growth and social development, creating employment and income. The local authorities remain an important instrument in any government’s toolbox for societal and public value creation given the right context and collaboration with other stakeholders. However, they require significant budget support and pose sizable fiscal risks, as the portfolio lacks financial viability. This is due to the lack of tools, economic insights, and expertise.
Economic growth, job creation, and local economic development initiatives depend on the strong vision of the region. The business sector becomes constrained when leaders fail to function well. The failure of these leaders has an impact on households, small, medium, and micro-enterprises, and other investors in the local economy. The leaders should empower SMEs and adopt an Economic Development Committee Meeting in their regions, focused on providing support to local SMEs, identifying regionally significant employment areas, promoting the region as a location for business investment, and efforts to streamline the planning process while cutting red tape.
The rural areas and economic development of the country have been impacted by high unemployment rates. The failure of leaders to apply innovative and creative ideas can lead to poverty and unemployment, caused by a lack of capacity and essential productive skills for both creative employment in existing organizations and self-employment.
In conclusion, mayors, councils, and governors should be appointed based on expertise rather than political affiliations. They need to be transparent, and accountable and communicate their objectives, activities, relationships, and performance. Leaders need to empower SMEs and adopt an Economic Development Committee Meeting in their regions to promote local economic development, which will, in turn, reduce unemployment and poverty.
