Trips galore

UWE RATHMANN WRITES FROM GROOTFONTEIN:

Open letter to the minister of urban and rural development:

Hon. Peya Mushelenga

Dear minister,

The Local and Regional Authority Acts of 1992 stipulate in section 13, respective section 16, that the councils have to furnish copies of the minutes of regular council meetings at the request of any person for an amount determined by the council. (Fees were never announced or gazetted).

MRLGHRD and Murd denied civil society for 27 years the right to get copies of the minutes.

In all my requests during the years to you, your ministry, the regional and town council denied me my lawful rights.

The easy explanation I found, was when the chairperson of the Grootfontein town council told me with a smile, that I never will get copies of the minutes, because they are not good for the public.

The minutes of council meetings do normally contain the resolutions of the councils like, for instance, how many councillors and staff travel for how long to which event around Namibia. Apparently no community member is supposed to know why four staff members are currently at a 10 day-“workshop" (or at the Show?) in Windhoek or why five town councillors attended a traditional event in Outapi for three days.

Dear and hon. minister Mushelenga, the signed minutes of council meetings are public documents.

I request that Murd and the Mict publish the signed minutes on websites on a regular basis.

Thank you for your attention,

Kind regards