Mulisa Simiyasa
OTJIWARONGO – Inhabitants of Otjozondjupa on Wednesday told the Fifth Boundaries Delimitation and Demarcation Commission at a consultative meeting to divide the region into two parts.
The residents suggested the two parts be called the Otjozondjupa North and Otjozondjupa South.
“This is due to the vastness of Otjozondjupa, which stretches from Okahandja to Gam settlement, about 900 kilometres,” they said.
The inhabitants, of whom the majority were traditional leaders and local authority councillors, said the proposed division of Otjozondjupa into two regions would improve service delivery to the people.
They suggested that Grootfontein become the administrative capital of the Otjozondjupa North comprising constituencies of Otavi, Otjituuo, Tsumkwe and Grootfontein, while also bringing in Tsumeb and Guinas areas of the Oshikoto region, saying they are near Grootfontein.
The residents proposed that Otjozondjupa South continues to utilise Otjiwarongo as its administrative capital with a total of six new constituencies of Okakarara, Omatako, Okondjatu, Okamatapati and Otjiwarongo.
According to the attendees the population growth of the region from about 143 000 in 2011 to 220 000 in 2023, should be a motivating factor to geographically influence change to the regional and constituency
boundaries.
Chairperson of the Fifth Boundaries Delimitation and Demarcation Commission, Judge Epafroditus Unengu said the commission does not approve proposals, but assesses and recommends to the President, the commission’s appointing authority.
Judge Unengu, along with commissioners Penias Topnaar, Gerhardt Gurirab, Phanuel Kaapama and Prisca Anyolo, received the inhabitants’ proposal document, saying they would compile from it, a report for the President.
-Nampa