MP and councillor for Okatana constituency in Oshana region Rosalia Shilenga is concerned about the state of the dilapidated roads in the constituency, which affects the transportation of both goods and services. Shilenga expressed her concern when contributing to the debate on the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Works and Transport in the National Council.
Shilenga said she is aware that rural areas in all the regions are in need of district road networks but added that urgent attention is needed in Okatana constituency. “I know that Namibia is ranked number one in terms of having the best road network in Africa, but going to the remote areas especially in the villages, the communities are in big problems accessing schools and clinics,” she said. Shilenga said she had enough time to go through the medium expenditure framework budget to see how much was allocated to the region, however, she was disappointed to see that nothing was budgeted to improve the road network in the constituency.
“This really pained me. Oshana is prone to floods. Like this year, we were under pressure of floods. We are the victims of floods as the region is situated in the water pans, where water flows through from Cuvelai Basin in Angola to Etosha Pan,” she said. “The floods affect mostly Uuvudhiya, Ompundja, Uukwiyuushona, Okatyali and Okatana constituencies,” she said.
According to her during the rainy season schools have to close temporarily because there are no roads connecting them. “Patients have no way to go to clinics. This is why the communities are complaining that the councillors are not doing anything. We have been patient for a long time now. Our government needs to do something,” she stressed. “Think of Okatana constituency, and to speak the truth, this constituency has 16 schools, but they are always temporarily closed during the flood season. Schools that are mostly affected when it is difficult for both teachers and learners to attend classes are Omusheshe, Oupumako, Amutanga, Emono and Iiviyongo Combined schools,” further stated the parliamentarian.
Hence, she said, there is a need to upgrade the gravel road to Omusheshe Combined School up to Oupumako Combined School.
“The gravel road from Okatana-Endola road to Amutanga Combined School – again we need the gravel road to Emono Combined School till Iiviyongo Combined School, just to mention a few,” she said.
She said district roads feasibility studies and surveying were conducted during the 2014/15 financial year but up to now nothing further has been done. “I will be happy if the Ministry of Works and Transport sees how it could assist us. I am humbly appealing for an urgent intervention by the responsible parties and to possible relook into such capital projects and share the little they planned for the construction of roads to schools and clinics countrywide,” she said.