||Kharas Regional Council Chairperson, Joseph Isaack, has briefed the media on what he termed "concerns that have a material impact on the region's people."
Isaack ran through several issues, including the recent suspension of three Swapo Party councillors from the Regional Council, the protest of parents against a new principal appointed at Keetmanshoop-based Mina Sachs Primary School, and the Urban and Rural Development Minister's dissolution of the Karasburg Town Council.
On the dissolution, he called on Minister Erastus Uutoni to reverse his decision, threatening to take the matter to court.
The Karasburg Town Council was disbanded five months ago by the minister because of maladministration, defiance of ministerial directives, interference in administration, and illegal conduct by councillors.
On the school demonstration, Isaack said he disagreed with the narrative that these are driven by regionalism, racism, or tribalism, suggesting the community's unhappiness stems from alleged unfair recruitment processes.
Other matters he touched on were financial assistance to SMEs and tertiary students, land delivery at Aussenkehr and Noordoewer, a new, multi-million dollar office park soon to be inaugurated, and recruitment preference for local inhabitants.
"There are success stories also, but `I want to urge the central government, especially the one that is sitting with the decisions because we are in the unit and unitary means that all the functions happen from the central, and we in regions are just waiting for delegated functions; that is our predicament. But all is not bleak and gloom."
nbc News reached out to the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Utoni, earlier in the week to respond to the concern about the suspension of the Karasburg Town Council's councillors.
Utoni said he was too busy and the reporter should reach out to him by Friday. He was, however, not reachable on Friday and did not respond to questions sent to him on the matter via text.
The Karasburg Town Council is placed under an administrator following the councillors' suspension.