Windhoek: President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on members of Cabinet to demonstrate integrity, transparency, and moral clarity by managing public resources with care, and to ensure that all decisions reflect fairness and accountability. Addressing the first cabinet retreat of the eighth administration in Windhoek on Thursday, Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized that ethical leadership is non-negotiable and corruption in all its forms undermines public trust and diverts resources meant for development.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the president underscored that national unity and social cohesion remain the foundation of Namibia's stability, urging Cabinet to continue promoting unity, respect, and cooperation across all sectors of society. 'Our tone, our decisions and public engagements shape the national atmosphere. Let us continue to uphold Namibia's values of peace, tolerance, and mutual respect,' she said.
The retreat, Nandi-Ndaitwah noted, is being held at a time when economic transformation is essential and job creation, particularly for the youth, must remain at the forefront. 'Therefore, from this retreat, we must be able to further identify all challenges and turn them into opportunities to meet the promises we made to our people, including job creation,' the president stated.
She further highlighted that the retreat provides a strategic platform to sharpen her administration's focus, strengthen cohesion, and recommit to the priorities that matter most to the Namibian nation as articulated in the Swapo Party election manifesto and operationalised in the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6). Nandi-Ndaitwah urged participants to share insights on issues central to strengthening governance and improving service delivery aimed at improving the quality of life and livelihoods of all Namibians.
She said the theme 'Enhancing Policy Coordination, Governance, and Service Delivery for Accelerated National Development' is not only timely but also instructive. 'This reminds us of our collective responsibility to initiate policies that respond to the needs of all Namibians, while reviewing laws, policies, and regulations that hamper the effective implementation of plans and programmes.'
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare called for the removal of procurement hurdles in organizations to fast-track service delivery. 'We should remove procurement bottlenecks in all Offices/Ministries and Agencies, regional councils, local authorities, and state-owned enterprises to accelerate service delivery,' he stressed. The procurement hurdles, he added, disrupt many development programmes on service delivery. Ngurare concluded by saying, 'Good policies without implementation are just as good as nothing, as they do not change people's lives.'
The cabinet retreat ends on Friday.