Arandis and Henties Bay “twin” for a better future

Sharlien Tjambari

The two respective local authorities of Henties Bay and Arandis entered into a twinning agreement earlier this week, creating a platform for the two towns to be better managed by sharing ideas, learn from one another’s experience and augment one another where technical knowledge and know-how lacks.

Several Namibian towns, including Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, has twinning agreements in place, but traditionally only with cities and towns abroad. The twinning agreement between the two Erongo towns is very unusual, but a positive step for development and service delivery.
Areas where the two towns will closely cooperate with one another is capacity building in the fields of strategic management, financial management, human resources, local economic development and municipal infra-structure development and maintenance, said the two municipalities in a press statement earlier this week.
Arandis and Henties Bay face a similar challenges in that economic opportunities are limited. Henties Bay is primarily a holiday- and retirement town whilst Arandis is a service centre for the uranium mining industry.
However, both towns enhances economic potential through tertiary education institutions (NIMT at Arandis and Unam’s Sam Nujoma Campus at Henties Bay) and both towns work hard to attract local manufacturers to set up manufacturing units there and both towns.