GOBABIS: In a significant gathering of regional leaders, the third strategic session and Annual Governors’ Retreat kicked off on Wednesday in Gobabis, located in the Omaheke Region. This event has brought together governors from all 14 regions of the country, marking a critical forum for discussing challenges and opportunities related to governance and service delivery.
According to Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA), the chairperson of the regional governor’s forum and Governor of Khomas Region, the retreat’s primary goal is to facilitate brainstorming sessions among the governors. The focus is on evaluating service delivery and the execution of their mandates. Katjirua emphasized the retreat as a vital opportunity for regional leaders to assess and share the various challenges, experiences, and constraints they encounter in their respective regions.
The meeting, Katjirua elaborated, serves as a reflection point for governors to consider both the positive and negative factors that influence their performance. She underscored the importance of operational efficiency at the sub-national level of governance, highlighting the session’s role in providing a framework for knowledge sharing, skill development, and benchmarking best practices. The agenda also includes practical site visits and discussions on codes of conduct, laws, policies, and regulations essential for guiding the governors in their official duties.
Minister in the Presidency, Christine //Hoebes, addressing the governors, pointed out the significance of the four-day gathering as a valuable opportunity for reflecting on their roles as public servants. She stressed the governors’ critical role in implementing government programmes and policies, ensuring effective execution and delivery of desired outcomes. //Hoebes highlighted the governors’ responsibility in translating political vision into tangible results that positively impact the lives of citizens, emphasizing political oversight as a key pillar of the democratic system to ensure accountability, transparency, and responsiveness.
Further, //Hoebes called for a collective effort to bridge the gap between political promises and reality. She urged the leaders to continuously evaluate the progress of government programs, identify challenges, and innovate solutions. In concluding her address, she reinforced the centrality of service delivery in their mandate, reminding the governors of the high level of trust citizens place in them to provide essential services.
The retreat is set to continue over the next few days, with various sessions planned to cover a range of governance and service delivery topics.