The approval of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Windhoek City Council and the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality (Durban) at a recent council meeting has exposed discrepancies in Windhoek’s agreement-signing process.
As a result, councillors agree that the city needs to revisit some clauses in all its current and future accords to promote effectiveness.
This debate was sparked when Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) councillor Otilie Uukule recently raised questions pertaining to the essence of the deal.
The purpose of this submission was to seek the council’s approval of the agreement between the said cities.
Uukule questioned why the agreement comes with a formalised working relationship between the two cities, which would maintain checks and balances, whereas similar engagements with local towns are short of such a commitment.
“I want clarity on recommendation 5,6 and 7 [that deal with] the establishment of a working group and action plan to oversee the implementation of this memorandum of understanding. And also that the relevant departments attach technical officials to join the working group for the implementation of the MOU.
“It is not the first time for us to sign [MOUs] with sister authorities. Has this happened locally as well, or only with foreign ones?” Uukule asked.
Replying to these questions, Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement councillor Job Amupanda said the city has had experiences with the signing of five-year agreement without any activities taking place between the signatories.
In an effort to avoid this, the city has resolved to change its mode of operation on the matter for two years, Amupanda said.
“We decided that we need some activity to happen between the time of signing and conclusion, and that someone should be put in charge of monitoring that process.
“The former mayor maintained that this move was to ensure that after the signatures, specific, skilled individuals would be identified by both parties to implement the process.
“It’s basically a matter of management, where we will have the specific departments spearheading the process, and the same will be done on the other side – be it a local or foreign municipality, or any other organisation,” he said.
Amupanda said this is a performance management measure, which does not only apply to foreign, but also local municipalities.
“For example, we signed an agreement with the City of Kingston [Jamaica], and we are currently busy with working groups discussing specific issues. We have [an agreement] with the Maltahöhe Town Council, according to which we had to donate vehicles to them. There was a rapid assessment exercise, for which we sent assessors to assess the needs in those areas,” he said.
Ndeshihafela Larandja supported Uukule’s call for the three specified recommendations to be applicable to all agreements the city enters into.
“I think these recommendations should be added to all our MOUs – current and future.”
THE MOU
The Windhoek City Council at its recent ordinary council meeting approved an agreement between Windhoek and eThekwini.
The parties have been exchanging projects of mutual interest, primarily on environmental management, sanitation and climate change.
“Taking cognisance of these many value-adding exchanges between Durban and Windhoek and the impending Windhoek-Bremen-Durban trilateral relationship, as well as the need to strengthen South-South cooperation, the two cities have in a discussion focused on the formalisation of their cooperation,” the parties said.
They further explained that the intention has been on the table, since “building on various exchanges, discussions, and consultations, the two cities by way of an agreement are expressing the desire to foster and promote the friendly relations existing between the City of Windhoek and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality”.
The partnership, according to the parties, is anchored in the need for continuing the tradition of sharing knowledge and inspiring creativity through expanding each other’s horizons and working together on municipal service solutions.
“The parties, therefore, seek to cooperate on solid waste management, information communication technology, smart city initiatives, economic development, tourism, heritage, arts and culture, environmental management and climate change,” the Windhoek municipality said.
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