Zebaldt Ngaruka
Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says the government is aware of Otjombinde’s poor road infrastructure concerns and remains committed to addressing them.
The country’s foremost diplomat was speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Swapo district office at Tallismanus in the Omaheke region over the weekend.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, who is Swapo’s second-in-command and the ruling party’s flag carrier at next year’s presidential and National Assembly elections, said the construction of roads in rural areas remains among the government’s chief priorities and it is “making good progress”.
She said the 140km road leading to Tallismanus needs to be upgraded to bitumen standard.
“The government is very much aware of this road and is not forgotten, and it will never be forgotten,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said in front of Swapo party supporters.
She continued that the government is committed to improving the living standards of all Namibians through quality service delivery.
Nandi-Ndaitwah noted that the government will continue to bring services closer to the people.
“The opening of the police station here must be welcomed by all residents as they welcomed farming services recently at Eiseb 10 in this constituency,” she said.
Furthermore, she said the livestock farmers in Otjombinde play an important role in the development of the country’s economy, despite the many challenges they face.
“Otjombinde is the home to many successful livestock farmers, an activity that is very critical as it can redefine the role of livestock farming in our economy,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, or NNN as she has come to be affectionately known in the Swapo circles, added that government will continue working with farmers to grow the sector.
“Not so long ago, the plight of farmers here was brought to the government’s attention. These included the need for auction kraals as well as a veterinary office in this constituency,” she recounted.
The opening of these new facilities has since curbed the long travelling distance for farmers to market their livestock and secure transportation permits.
Swapo Office
On the district office, she said: “It is not only a place to keep documents safe but also a place where you converge to exchange views and also where you can get the right information.”
The ruling party presidential hopeful urged that the office serves the Otjombinde community and the entire region in general.
“Members should be able to come to the office and be attended to appropriately and on time,” she appealed.
Nandi-Ndaitwah further urged the Swapo party leadership in the Otjombinde district to accommodate youth by equipping the office with all materials and technology that will add value to the youth and enable them to improve their lives and that of the Namibian nation.
She further called for the construction of the office in Tallismanus to be done in an open and transparent manner.
“There should be no push and pull, nor should I hear about missing materials,” cautioned Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Omaheke regional coordinator for the ruling party Ruth Kaukuata Mbura said it was not easy to come up with this noble idea of constructing an office in Otjombinde under Swanu and an independent candidate at some point.
“We worked hard and now the constituency is one of the Swapo strongholds. I initiated this idea in 2016 with the current party vice president and today, it has become a reality,” she said proudly.
Mbura then called on other constituencies in Omaheke to be patient as more offices are expected to be built in the area.
“More efforts need to be put in place to raise the name of the party high,” she said.
On his part, Swapo party district coordinator for Otjombinde constituency Nickolaus Tjovavi Tjituka said he was overwhelmed by the news of the office construction.
“It’s a good relief as we have been operating party functions under a small corrugated iron sheet. This will help us engage our supporters at different levels with good security to party’s information,” Tjituka explained.
He urged the youth in the constituency to render a helping hand during the construction phase of the office.
“This is like a community project as we will have facilities for youth to access information and even do their research here,” said the district coordinator.
Construction work is expected to kick off early next month.
Otjombinde constituency is one of the Swapo party’s strong in Omaheke region hold and it is now under the leadership of councillor Wenzel Kavaka.