Beyond the Slogan: The Structural Reforms Walvis Bay Needs to Turn ‘No Business as Usual’ into Tangible Progress

The new mayor of Walvis Bay, Johannes Shimbilinga, has declared an end to “business as usual.” While this pledge resonates with a public weary of underperformance, governance experts warn that the slogan will remain hollow without confronting deep-seated structural and cultural weaknesses within the municipality’s administration.

Analysts agree that the mayor’s vision is achievable, but its success hinges entirely on the council’s willingness to undertake the difficult, often unglamorous work of institutional reform. This means moving beyond political rhetoric to address the systemic issues that have constrained Namibia’s key port town for years.

The Diagnosis: Chronic Symptoms and a Reactive Culture

Political and economic analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah identifies a clear list of chronic failures: unreliable water supply, poor sanitation, weak waste management, and ageing road infrastructure. These are not isolated problems but symptoms of a larger malaise.

“The biggest obstacle,” Kamwanyah asserts, “is the town’s internal culture, which is slow and reactive.” A reactive culture prioritizes short-term fixes over long-term planning, responds to crises rather than preventing them, and often operates within silos, hindering coordinated service delivery. Transforming this into a proactive, efficient, and accountable administrative culture is the fundamental challenge. “For that directive to work, there must be a reorganisation,” he insists, pointing to the need for potential restructuring of departments, streamlining of approval processes, and a revamp of performance management systems.

The Economic Imperative: Fix the Foundations First

Mayor Shimbilinga’s focus on attracting investment and boosting tourism is economically sound. Walvis Bay possesses natural advantages—a deep-water port, proximity to key markets, and unique tourism assets. However, Kamwanyah stresses a critical sequence: growth is contingent on fundamentals.

“Without those foundations, investment or tourism growth will struggle,” he says. A manufacturer will not set up shop where water supply is erratic. Tourists will not return to a town struggling with waste management. The port’s efficiency is undermined if the surrounding road network is decrepit. Thus, the mayor’s economic ambitions are not separate from municipal service delivery; they are directly dependent on it. The council must view infrastructure upgrades not as mere expenditure, but as strategic capital investment in the town’s economic future.

The Path to “Business Unusual”: Discipline, Evidence, and Delivery

Policy analyst Marius Kudumo echoes the caution, noting that phrases like “no business as usual” have become political fashion. The antidote, he argues, is a disciplined focus on three pillars:

1. Prioritisation: The council cannot fix everything at once. It must use data and public consultation to identify 2-3 critical, high-impact areas (e.g., water security, business licensing) for immediate, demonstrable improvement.
2. Evidence-Based Policymaking: Decisions must transition from political preference to data-driven strategy. This involves auditing current service levels, benchmarking against similar municipalities, and setting clear, measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) for departments.
3. Delivery Over Promises: “The mayor and council should just deliver, and the residents will notice that it is business unusual,” Kudumo states. Overpromising erodes the very public trust the mayor seeks to restore. A strategy of “under-promise and over-deliver” would be more effective in rebuilding credibility.

Kudumo also highlights the danger of council infighting, which can paralyze administration. A unified council, aligned on strategic goals, is a non-negotiable prerequisite for change.

The Mayor’s Mandate and Public Expectation

These analyses follow Mayor Shimbilinga’s swearing-in, where he explicitly linked service delivery to economic growth and public trust. “We are taking a new path because our people are tired of empty commitments,” he declared, promising to hold officials accountable for delays.

The critical test, as framed by the experts, is whether the administration can translate this directive into actionable plans. Will there be a published, time-bound service delivery charter? Will budget allocations be visibly shifted to priority infrastructure projects? Will there be transparent reporting on progress, including setbacks?

The coming months will be a litmus test. The mayor’s message has rightly raised expectations. The council now faces the task of meeting them not with more talk, but with a structured, disciplined, and transparent reform agenda that finally addresses the structural weaknesses holding Walvis Bay back. The transition from a reactive to a proactive and enabling municipality is the true definition of “no business as usual.”

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