NEW ERA journalist Loide Jason interviewed Omulonga constituency councillor Erickson Ndawanifa to find out what has been happening in his constituency insofar as development is concerned, as well as the improvement of the livelihood of the people in that constituency.
NE: Briefly tell us who you are and when did you become a regional councillor?
EN: My name is Erickson Ndawanifa and I came to office as a regional councillor for the Ohangwena Region responsible for the Omulonga constituency with effect from 01 November 2010. I am a teacher by profession and I have been teaching for 17 years and served 3 years as a Head of Department for maths and science at Oshikondiilongo Combined School in the Oshana Region before I came to office. I want to sincerely thank the people in the Omulonga constituency who have entrusted me with this responsibility through democratic elections.
NE: How many people live in your constituency? And what are the main needs for the people who live in your constituency?
EN: The Omulonga constituency has a population of 32 500 people and 5 300 households and 78 villages as per the Namibia 2011 census provisional results. This constituency does not even have any single settlement, neither town council nor village council. Among the main needs of this community is safe drinking water for both humans and animals. Approximately 16 000 people do not have safe water to drink. This part of the constituency is currently facing a serious water crisis. People and animals have to move long distances to look for water to drink. The people and animals that are critically affected, are from 40 villages out of 78 villages in the constituency, which are situated between Ondobe – Oshigambo road, Ondobe – Onhuno road, Onhuno – Ondangwa tarred road and the Oniipa constituency borders. Some of these villages are Okatha ka Mumbwenge, Esheshete, Ohadiwa, Engela 1-4, Omwandi wOntala A and B, Okatale, Oshatotwa, Onamahoka, Onandova A-C, Outwilo, Etope, Onangwe, Oshimumu, Ondeikela and Eenghango. Nevertheless, I am very proud to tell you that our Swapo Party government has positively responded to me and my people by approving and funding a programme of supplying water pipelines for these areas.
Another serious challenge is the fact that there is not enough drought relief food yet. I am having about 19 000 people out of 32 500 people registered for the emergency drought relief food in the constituency this year. There are 8 schools out of 23 schools, which have no electricity. I understand that electricity is one of the basic needs of the schools and that its unavailability can contribute to poor academic performance of learners. I can also further comment that many localities do not have electricity and that they are negatively affecting local economic development within the constituency. We have only 4 clinics in the entire constituency for a population of 32 500 people. The constituency needs 6 new clinics at the villages of Onamahoka, Engela la Shikondongolo, Onangwe’ Omhokolo, Ehoma and Otunganga. I have submitted these proposals to the CRO’s office for RDCC recommendation. During flooding many schools, clinics, mobile clinics and pension pay points cannot be reached by car or footing. I and my Community Development Committee have submitted proposals to the Roads Authority (RA) through the office of the CRO for the construction of roads. The constituency is mainly in need of a road running in a west to east direction. My office is seeking approval from RA for the road DR3652 Ongha – Eenghango – Onamukulo to be upgraded and Okakwa–Onandova–Onamahoka–Onangwe–Ohaukelo–Ehoma–Otunganga–Omupindi road to be given a number and recommended for construction in the 2013/2014/2015/2016 fiscal cycle. Our development committee also observed that this big population needs safety and security. The headman of Onamukulo village, tatekulu Djuulume Nghikambe has already pledged a piece of land for the construction of a police station. Therefore, I made a submission of this proposal to the office of the Nampol Regional Commander of the Ohangwena Region for the 2013/2014 financial year. The committee has also found that there is a need for new primary schools at Onandova, Etope, Onekuta and Onekaku villages and one senior secondary school at Oshuulu in Ongula ya Netanga centre. The submission has already been forwarded to the Chief Regional Officer with the RDCC’s blessings and will be considered in the 2013/2014/2015/2016 fiscal cycle. We are also planning to attract Nampost so that they can build a satellite post office in Onamukulo village, which is our constituency capital in order to serve this growing community. Many teachers and nurses in this remote area live under harsh conditions with no houses and we have proposed the construction of some additional houses at schools and clinics. Also. We have no network coverage. Oshaango, Otunganga, Ongula ya Netanga, Ehoma and Eenghango, Onamahoka centres need MTC and Telecom network coverage. I have made a submission already. Many people still need birth certificates, which is also a national problem. So far, I have identified 585 people without birth certificates in the constituency since 2011/2012. I have observed that the majority are children born by parents who do not have national documents themselves.
NE – There is a general perception that constituency councillors only visit their constituencies during election times? How would you describe the relationship between your office and the people who elected you as their councillor?
EN: I completely disagree, I am elected by the people for the people. I always have to go to them or they can call me anytime they need me. Therefore, I am confidently saying that I am having a good relationship with my people who elected me and I have to do justice and be accountable to them. I have visited all 78 villages for community meetings and 23 schools to motivate learners and find out the needs of the schools in my constituency. I have also attended some parental meetings when they invited me. I have visited all clinics within my jurisdiction. I have also attended social events in different churches to address people on certain issues per their invitations.
NE: What projects such as clinics, schools, toilets and other social infrastructure have you initiated since you became a councillor?
EN: I want to tell you that the capital project proposals for the constituency are being planned by the Constituency Development Committee, on which I serve as the chairperson. And we have forwarded those proposals to the CRO for RDCC consideration. One of two things can happen during the RDCC meeting, either to recommend or not to recommend the proposals in a particular financial year. I do not work in isolation, but with the help of other regional councillors, the governor, Honorable Usko Nghaamwa, ministers, community members and public officials, who help me to initiate projects, including four schools including Otunganga Combined School (CS), Onamutemo CS, Mwafangeyo CS and Omhokolo CS, which were electrified during the 2011/2012 fiscal year. The Solidarity Community Based Care project centre was also electrified during the 2011/2012 financial year. The Onyika yEpumba kindergarten at Outwilo village and Tutuma chicken farming project at Etope village were initiated and electrified during the 2012/2013 financial year. The Nakapandi kindergarten at Onandova village was initiated and it is currently under construction through the Cash for Work programme is is catered for in the 2013/2014 budget and will cost N$56 000. The Tuyakula tailoring project at Onamahoka village was initiated and it was approved for the 2012/2013 financial year for N$56 000 and it was handed over. One earth dam was excavated under the Food for Work programme at Engela la Shikondongolo village in Eexumba centre at a cost of N$70 000 during 2011/2012. The Ondobe–Oshigambo road (DR3625) was re-gravelled during the 2011/2012 financial year. The Eembahu–Oshigwedha road (RT 63 (W) is under construction at a projected cost of N$22 592 000. Also, the Indangungu–Onambutu water pipeline phase 6 is currently under construction and is catered for in the 2012/2013 financial year and will cost N$33 740 048.49. After completion, these pipelines are expected to serve about 16 000 people, those have been without safe water since 1990. Also, 275 toilets were constructed all over the constituency. Many schools, mobile clinics, pension pay points, palaces of headmen and some churches have benefited through this sanitation programme. There are also 150 toilets to be constructed by the Red Cross of Namibia for disabled people I have identified in the Omulonga constituency. Some schools such as Okatale CS and Onanona CS have built additional classrooms at a cost of N$905 949.63 and N$1 033 943.43 respectively during the 2012/2013 fiscal year. I want to thank the directorate of education in the Ohangwena Region for implementing all of its projects. Omhokolo Primary School is also one the schools that has received new facilities during the 2011/2012 financial year. The Onailonga–Okamwoongo and Onaza water points in the Onailonga and Onanona villages are under construction and they will be complete very soon. The Eenhana–Oshigambo road to be tarred is a national project that I have acknowledged and I say thanks to the government of the Swapo Party for approving and funding this project during the 2013/2014 financial year. My people are very happy, because it serves the majority in this constituency.
NE: During project implementation how many jobs were created? And how much did government spend on these projects?
EN: Hundreds of job opportunities were created for the people in the constituency. The construction of the Eembahu–Oshigwedha road created more than 500 jobs, while the Indangungu–Onambutu water pipeline phase 6 created about 1500 jobs, according the report I got from the contractors. I also want to inform my people that all the completed and under-construction projects in our constituency have cost our Swapo Party government millions of dollars. During the implementation of all the projects, affirmative action was taken into account.
NE: How have these projects benefited your constituency? In other words have these projects improved the lives of the people?
EN: These projects have reduced unemployment, poverty and improved the socio-economic wellbeing of many beneficiaries and their families.
NE: What other projects are currently in the pipeline in your constituency? And have funds been readily available for these projects or was funding a factor in any way?
EN: There are a few projects that are currently in the pipeline such as the Eembaxu–Oshigwedha road construction project; 150 toilets that the Red Cross plans to build, the Nakapandi kindergarten construction at Onandova, the Tuyakula tailoring project at Onamahoka and the Indangungu–Onambutu water pipeline phase 6. I was informed that funding was not a factor.
NE: What are the common problems faced by people in your constituency? And how have you intervened to deal with some of these problems?
EN: The common problems faced by my people are unemployment, drought, water scarcity, lack of electricity, people without national documents and the fact that we do not have enough gravel roads to mention but a few. I have to mobilize the community to come up with viable project proposals that can overcome these problems and submit or resubmit some of our proposals for approval by the government. I will keep requesting the government, NGOs, businessmen and women to help us to donate food and to provide jobs to my people. I would like to extend my appreciation to many NGOs that have already started to donate food to the people at Oukango and Oshela villages in response to the prevailing drought situation.
NE: Crime is a nationwide problem. What kind of crime is common in your constituency? And how is your community involved in tackling this scourge?
EN: Of course, crime is a national problem. My constituency experienced four cases of baby dumping, which were reported this year. Rape, theft and domestic violence are also common. The Men and Women network is active in combatting crime in the constituency.
By Loide Jason