Rundu council backs People’s Assembly for residents

Sostenus Wilherm

Rundu Town Council has unanimously adopted a motion seeking to establish a Rundu People’s Assembly (RPA) and Rundu Youth Advisory Council (RYAC), in a move aimed at giving residents and young people a more permanent role in municipal decision-making.

The motion, introduced by Rundu Town Council councillor Kufuna Patrick Masonde, was adopted without objection and has now been referred to the management committee for further consideration and the formulation of recommendations towards implementation.

Masonde told the Windhoek Observer that the initiative was driven by concerns that many residents, particularly those living in neglected neighbourhoods and informal settlements, do not have sufficiently structured and permanent platforms through which their concerns can reach municipal authorities.

“The motion was prompted by what I identified as a serious gap between the residents of Rundu and the institutions responsible for making decisions that directly affect their daily lives,” Masonde said.

He said the proposed structures are intended to address what he described as administrative isolation and a growing perception among communities that they are not adequately heard in decisions affecting their livelihoods and living conditions.