Regional leadership in the Kavango East Region met with the business community to discuss how to better improve local economic growth and development.
Referred to as the Mayoral Business Forum, the platform brings the local business community under one roof to, amongst other things, foster strong bonds and promote a unified business spirit. This is particularly important ahead of one of the region's biggest events, the Rundu Annual Trade Fair, next month.
"We need to collectively be active in the growth of the economy of our beloved town to deliberate on the opportunity, and the centre of social economic excellence and business have a vital role to play," said Rundu Maryor Gabriel Kanyanga.
The regional leadership believes that Kavango East can take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Angolan informal traders who enter Rundu every day to sell produce. This is despite the Town Council not being in favour of the traders doing business in Rundu.
"Appreciate these men and women that carry their baskets to come and sell in Namibia, Rundu. We were told that Rundu Town Council came up with new bylaws to block these people from selling here again. Those are the industries that we would also like to excel in in our town by allowing our neighbour to benefit from what Rundu has, and we should also maximise the population that we have. The population at Rundu has buying power; therefore, I think we can take that as an advantage," added Damian Maghambayi, the Chairperson of the Kavango East Regional Council.
Kavango East Governor Bonifatius Wakudumo also stressed the importance of practicing what one preaches, especially referring to the regional leadership.
Only then, he says, are they able to set an example that can be emulated.
"What we want is to see action if we really mean it. Leaders, starting with myself as governor, the chairperson of the regional council, the mayor, and the management of the town council, let us get out of our comfort zones in our offices. Let us lead by example. Great leaders in any given society cannot talk about agriculture if I, myself, don't even know how to plant a tomato."