Namibia: National Council Urges Stronger Regional Governance

Namibia's decentralisation agenda and the need to strengthen the relationship between the National Council and regional councils are at the centre of discussions at a joint consultative conference at Otjiwarongo. National Council chairperson Lukas Muha says the two institutions must strengthen cooperation to ensure their distinct constitutional mandates translate into effective governance and development at regional level. Muha was speaking on Tuesday at the opening of the third National Council and Regional Councils consultative conference, held under the theme 'Enhancing Participatory Democracy and Inclusive Development'. He said Articles 74 and 108 of the Constitution establish a relationship in which the National Council and regional councils have separate mandates but remain interconnected. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines "The National Council must continue to champion inclusivity, while regional councils are expected to ensure that development initiatives respond to the realities of communities across our regions," Muha said. The conference will assess progress on decentralisation and regional development, while examining the National Council's legislative review role in relation to regional councils. Delegates will also discuss the relationship between administrative and political responsibilities, the Constituency Development Fund and ways to strengthen regional councils. Muha said public participation and responsive service delivery were essential to democratic governance, arguing that citizens should not be passive observers in decisions affecting their communities. Council vice chairperson Emma Muteka says the discussions should result in practical solutions and stronger commitments. The conference runs until 2 October. Read the original article on Namibian . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.