Faith Kavamba
Deputy information minister Emma Theofelus this week completed her familiarisation tour of the Erongo region and the ministry’s facilities within the region.
The tour took place from last week Thursday until yesterday.
She kicked off the tour with a visit to Dibasen Secondary School in Okombahe, where she encouraged the learners to be diligent in their school work, harness their talents and become productive citizens. She also donated 100 stationary cases to the learners so they can use them in their upcoming examinations.
Addressing the grade 10 and grade 11 learners, Theofelus recounted her journey – from her primary school to early career – so learners can see similarities and draw inspiration because she was in the same position that they are currently in. Although her path was that of being a student leader, she advised the learners they do not need to be head girl, a junior mayor or in the children’s parliament; what is important is that they make the most of their talents by excelling in them and being a productive Namibian citizen. She further stressed they should value their education because it is a privilege some are deprived of.
“You need to lead yourself before you can lead others… Decide what you want and go after it; don’t let opportunity slip through fingers. With or without Covid-19, education remains the greatest equaliser,” she concluded at the school. Theofelus opened the ministry’s newly relocated Okombahe Multipurpose Community Centre (MPCC) on Thursday. The centre seeks to further the ministry’s mandate of providing ICT services to rural communities. She also paid a courtesy visit to the Erongo Regional Council’s (ERC) Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) projects in Okombahe.
The two major projects are the construction of a hostel at the secondary school and a police station, which will comprise holding cells and barracks for the officers.
Among others, MTEF projects are aimed at ensuring sustainable rural livelihoods; reduction of poverty; improve living conditions and shelter; mitigate rural-urban migration and ensuring appropriate town planning and establishment, as well as infrastructure development and land use management.
Theofelus on the same day also visited the ministry’s MPCC, situated in the Omdel location of Henties Bay, where she engaged the volunteers who run the centre under the stewardship of the MICT regional office.
During her leg of the tour in Swakopmund, the deputy minister requested to have an interactive session with the ministry’s staff members so they could verbalise their successes, challenges and recommendations for how best the subdivision can fulfil its ministry’s mandate within the region.
Theofelus took note of the discussion and stressed the information would be communicated to head office so the correct interventions could be put in place.
On Friday morning, she visited Telecom’s West Africa Cable System (WACS) Landing Station in Swakopmund. WACS is a submarine communications cable linking Namibia and other African countries with the United Kingdom along the west coast of Africa and provides mega spaces of broadband to Africa, enabling the continent reliable, faster and cost-effective connectivity. She completed the familiarisation tour yesterday with a visit to the learners of Duinesig High School in the morning before joining the solidarity march for the late Shannon Wasserfall in Walvis Bay.