The first day brought together external stakeholders, including representatives from business, civil society, community organisations and development partners, and members of the public, while the second day focused on consultations with municipal staff members.

Officially opening the workshop, Mayor His Worship Councillor Johannes Shimbilinga emphasised the importance of stakeholder participation in shaping the Municipality’s future. He further noted that while turnout was lower than expected, the engagement was very fruitful and meaningful, with constructive discussions that will contribute significantly to the planning process.

“The purpose of this engagement is to ensure that our Strategic Plan reflects shared priorities, practical actions and measurable outcomes that will benefit the people of Walvis Bay,” he said.

The Mayor further stressed that stakeholder involvement is critical to the success of the Municipality’s strategic objectives, adding: “Your presence here is not ceremonial, it is essential. These plans succeed only when they are co-owned and implemented by the municipality together with citizens, businesses, civil society and partners.”

During the sessions, participants were divided into working groups to deliberate on key thematic areas and complete structured exercises aimed at generating inputs for the Municipality’s SWOT analysis and the formulation of strategic objectives and priorities for the Strategic Plan.

Furthermore, Chief Executive Officer Ms Victoria Kapenda, took the opportunity to provide an update on key development initiatives and challenges facing the town, including road infrastructure projects, the landfill site and decongestion plans for the Kuisebmond residential area.

On the third and final day, stakeholders were presented with the updated Strategic Plan and afforded a further opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed strategic objectives and priorities. The engagement reinforced the Municipality’s commitment to transparency, collaboration and inclusive decision-making, ensuring that the final Strategic Plan reflects the aspirations and needs of the broader Walvis Bay community.

The stakeholder consultation process was moderated by the Chief Executive Officer of the Namibian Association of Local Authority Officials (NALAO) and Ms Sylvia Schubert, General Manager: Human Resources, Corporate and Communication Services.

The Municipality thanks all stakeholders who participated in the consultative process.