Windhoek
A large chunk of the development earmarked this year for spending in the ‘Cattle Country’ – that is Omaheke Region – will go toward servicing of land and infrastructure in the town of Gobabis, the villages of Witvlei, Leonardville, Buitepos, Epukiro and Otjinene.
Gobabis received the biggest portion, having been allocated N$22.2 million for this year alone, followed by N$12 million allocated to Witvlei. Buitepos and Epukiro received N$5 million each, while Leonardville receives N$4.5 million and Otjinene N$2 million.
The Ministry of Rural and Urban Development has also set aside N$20 million for the construction of Omaheke Regional Council head office. For this year alone the Ministry of Rural and Urban Development has allocated a total of more than N$75.7 million to the region.
Police officers manning the border posts have not been forgotten, with the safety ministry allocating N$13.3 million specifically for the construction of housing accommodation at border posts and outposts. There is also an additional N$4.94 allocation for the construction of police accommodation at various police centres in the region.
An amount of N$6.5 million has been allocated for the construction of P.J Kaundu police training centre. There is also amount allocated for the construction of police stations at Aminuis and Epako. In total the police would spend N$37.64 million in Omaheke this year.
The Ministry of Defence has set aside money to construct a military base at Gobabis, while the Ministry of Finance has set aside a sizable N$12.5 million for the construction of staff accommodation for those employed at the Trans-Kalahari Border Post.
The largest spending allocation though is by the Ministry of Works and Transport, which has allocated more than N$242 million for road upgrades. The money is divided between the road that runs between Otjinene and Gobabis, which is budgeted for at N$115 million for this year lone, and the 245 kilometre roads from Gobabis to Aminuis and from Aminuis to Aranos.
The construction costs of this road for this year stand at N$100 million. The 47 km stretch of road from Du Plessis Plaas to Epukiro Post 3 is also budgeted for upgrading to bitumen standard at a cost of N$10 million. Other spending on road upgrades amount to N$7.6 million and would be used to construct road access to clinics and schools, for paving non-paved roads, as well as doing maintenance and repairs.
The land reform ministry would spend nearly N$101 million on the land purchase project, while the sports and youth ministry would spend N$5.6 million on the construction of a mini sport complex at Aminuis.
There is also a an amount of N$1.6 million set aside for the construction of a vocational training and centre in Gobabis by the higher education ministry.
The agriculture ministry has set aside slightly more than N$59.9 million for the construction of veterinary clinics, construction of dams, traditional well and pans for livestocks, implementing community base management, and for the implementation of decentralisation, constituency office construction.
The education ministry would spend N$12 million on the renovation of schools, upgrading of hostels, and constructing houses for teachers, while the health ministry is also going to spend N$20.4 million on upgrading infrastructure at clinics and hospitals.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy has set aside N$4.8 million for rural electrification and a national airborne geophysical survey.
The fisheries ministry has set aside N$1.3 million for the construction of the Leonardville Fish Farming Project.
Cattle Country … Part of the N$597 million set aside for Omaheke Region will go toward servicing of land and infrastructures in Gobabis, the villages of Witvlei, Leonardville, Buitepos, Epukiro and Otjinene. In the photo is the sign at the entrance to Gobabis, the capital of the Omaheke.