Uhuru Dempers, a member of the national governing council of the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), emphasised the importance of instilling a sense of ownership in citizens to encourage their active participation in addressing what they perceive as poor governance.
Dempers, speaking at the regional consultative meeting for the APRM national governance report in Namibia, noted that citizens often resort to mere complaints without taking action. He stated that it is their responsibility, after electing leaders into power, to hold these leaders accountable and ensure the promotion of good governance.
‘We must hold elected officials and leaders accountable for their promises, as well as for adhering to the principles of good governance. Even if a specific political party placed them in their positions, once elected, they become national or regional leaders and not representatives of a particular party or interest,’ he said.
Dempers explained that the regional consultative meetings aim to provide credible, reliable, and up-to-date data on governance performance indicators. These meetings ensure periodic and continuous assessments of selected governance areas, identifying areas in need of improvement, which will contribute to the development of a national governance report.
He added that the development of a national governance report will significantly enhance Namibia’s ability to assess the implementation of good governance principles across all five APRM thematic areas, management practices, and continuous improvement.
‘The national governance reporting programme will not only aid member states in preparing national policy reports on governance indicator performance in their respective countries but will also offer institutional capacity support for implementing recommendations from the report. It will help measure the performance of critical governance aspects to inform policymakers,’ he elaborated.
In her capacity as the governor of ||Kharas, Aletha Frederick emphasised the value of stakeholders’ insights, expertise and perspectives in shaping the national governance report. She stressed that stakeholder participation is vital to ensure the report’s comprehensiveness, accuracy and reflection of the views and experiences of all stakeholders.
‘Together, we can collaborate to create a more stable, prosperous and equitable society for all Namibians. I urge you to openly and honestly share your thoughts and experiences, without fear of retaliation or judgment, and provide constructive feedback. This will assist APRM in identifying areas of strength and weakness and developing recommendations for improving governance in Namibia, ultimately fostering sustainable development,’ Frederick emphasised.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency