Groenewald Rehoboth’s new mayor
Rehoboth elected the Landless People's Movement (LPM) candidate Amanda Ludmilla Groenewaldt as their new mayor on Wednesday evening.This comes after months of controversy over service interruptions in the town and while former mayor, Enrico Junius, is still in intensive care after he was seriously injured a few months back while helping fight wildfires.
Groenewaldt worked behind the scenes during these events to improve the state of affairs at the town. She has been the chairperson of the town's governing board for the past two years and says that she has big plans for the town.
“I want the town to be self-sufficient. We have a lot of water in Rehoboth and I want to develop those water sources so that we don't have to be so dependent on NamWater. In Rehoboth we are also very fortunate to have land, so I hope to give our people land so that everyone can have a roof over their head,” she said.
She also believes that the town can be beautified to attract investors. “There are many opportunities for tourism in Rehoboth. The hot springs can be developed as well as the Acacia forest. I want us to focus on preserving our environment so that it can be attractive to visitors,” she said.
According to her, Rehoboth's land resources can also be used to attract investors. “Namibia doesn't have factories, but we have land for factories in Rehoboth,” she said.
Groenewaldt also shared plans to boost the town's agricultural sector. “Rehoboth is in an agricultural environment. Most of the people in our area are farmers.”
Although there is no shortage of resources in Rehoboth, Groenewaldt believes that the town is still tied to its debt.
“Our community owes a lot and the council inherited debt. If we can establish the culture of paying bills in our town, we can get rid of that debt,” she said.
Groenewaldt also encourages residents to keep their town clean.