Otjozondjupa Regional Council Chairperson Marlene Mbakera has raised concerns regarding the lack of coordination among councillors in the distribution of drought aid food.

During the official opening of the council, Mbakera urged both regional and local authority councillors to establish effective distribution channels for drought relief aid targeting peri-urban beneficiaries.

The region is home to approximately 20,960 households affected by drought, with 5,000 of those located in peri-urban areas.

Since the introduction of aid to peri-urban regions in 2024, Mbakera noted there has been confusion over the intended recipients and the distribution process. 

"I have observed with concern that after the President declared a state of emergency due to drought and following the release of drought relief aid to peri-urban areas by the Office of the Prime Minister, there has been a lack of coordination between some regional councillors and local authority councillors, despite their shared jurisdiction. As leaders, we are custodians of public trust. It is imperative that we uphold the highest standards of accountability and transparency in all our actions."

Mbakera also highlighted the absence of public meetings, despite councillors sharing proposed event calendars. 

"Some of us have shared calendars of events that outline the number of public meetings or engagements planned, but how many of those meetings actually took place last year? How often did we engage with our communities?" She cautioned that with regional and local authority elections approaching, protests are likely to occur as political opportunists seek to voice their opinions and influence public sentiment. "We must be proactive and engage our communities, listening to the voices of the masses so that we aren't just reacting to their concerns."

Regarding service delivery, the chairperson emphasized the need for the council to evolve its approach to providing basic services.

"As we strive for excellence, we must remain focused on key priority areas that directly affect our communities' well-being. The region has over 15,000 informal homes, yet fewer than 20% have access to toilets. While I know we are working on formalizing our informal settlements, we must ask: how long will it take before those in informal areas have access to toilets? Providing a toilet is a matter of human dignity. I urge you to prioritize building toilets for our residents in informal areas. We can start small."

The meeting was attended by representatives from regional and local authorities, chief executive officers, and senior regional council officials.