HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Keetmanshoop is one of Namibia’s oldest municipalities with a German history dating back to the 18 th century. The town is named after a missionary called Johan Keetmans and therefore Keetmanshoop basically means Keetmans’ hope. The word hoop is Afrikaans word for the English word “hope”.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
Keetmanshoop is Namibia’s Southern major town, situated 500km from Windhoek and only 400km from the borders of South Africa (Upington town). It is also 400km from the southern major part of Namibia, Lüderitz. It is a town surrounded by mountains and dry areas of sheep grazing; it has got beautiful scenes for tourists.
POPULATION
Keetmanshoop is a host to approximately 25 000 (both rural and urban) according to the 2002 census statistics. This is about 36% of the total population of the Karas region and therefore by implication, Keetmanshoop is the big town in the region since the remaining percentage is split among Lüderitz, Karasburg, Bethanie, Berseba, Aroab, Nordoewer, Oranjemund and many other smaller villages/settlements.
Moreover, since Keetmanshoop is the centre for all for the Karas region it is therefore correct to say that the population of Keetmanshoop is bigger than many people have realised. Everyone comes to Keetmanshoop for almost everything to do, be for governmental services or for shopping purposes.
BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
In terms of business activities, Keetmanshoop is blessed with retail industries (though still limited in terms of the numbers), hotels, warehouses etc. One could find almost everything in Keetmanshoop in terms of shopping but the manufacturing industry is not evident except for the Agricultural industry that produces Karakul and quality meat for both local and international markets. Actually, this is the home of Karakul and mutton for Namibia. The Karakul wool is produced here. The same goes for the ostrich skins, feathers and meat.
GOVERNMENT
Keetmanshoop is the capital centre to all the central government ministries that cater for the Karas Region. It is also the centre for the regional government, Karas, Regional Council that looks after the villages and settlements in the region. There are proper schools, a state hospital, a good telecommunication infrastructure, a wonderful road network as well as a rail network from Karasburg through to Windhoek.
THE COUNCIL
The Council itself consists of 7 council members, made up as follows:
- A mayor who is also the chairperson of the Council, and his deputy
- Three members of management committee and one additional member
- One ordinary member of the Council
The council has approximately 160 permanent staff members and about 10 temporary workers. The council has a total budget (2005/2006) of about N$28 000 000.00 for both income and expenditure. This is expected to grow as planned in the 5 year strategic document of the years 2005/2006 to 2009/2010. The council is responsible for the welfare of its residents in terms of:
- basic services such as water,
- electricity,
- sanitation/sewerage,
- traffic and fire brigade,
- housing and road networks
- but other services such as education and hospital are still in the hands of the central government. The decentralisation program is not yet fully implemented in the whole country.