RUNDU – Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader and presidential hopeful McHenry Venaani has promised to change the fate of Kavango inhabitants once elected into power.
He said no life will be lost due to crocodile attacks while people fetch water.
He promised that he would improve the water infrastructure in the two regions.
“Brothers and sisters, the government of the day has failed us. They have failed us on water. They have failed us in sanitation. They have failed us in healthcare. And they will continue to fail us, unless we stand together, united for change. This election is not about liking the leaders. It’s about demanding respect as a citizen who enters a social contract with your government. It’s about demanding service. It’s about ensuring that the government works for the people,” he said during PDM’s rally at the Dr Romanus Kampungu sports field at Rundu.
Venaani said Rundu and various Kavango East and Kavango West villages that are a stone’s throw away from the Kavango River should not suffer from a lack of potable drinking water.
“It is a travesty that areas such as Ndama, Sunshine and Sauyemwa are facing critical water shortages. This is a crisis that was already predicted to happen way back in 2020. Water, my friends, is not a luxury. It is a basic human right, enshrined in our Constitution. Yet, many in this community still struggle to access it. Water shortages here are not just an inconvenience. They are a matter of survival,’’ he said.
He seemingly then took a jibe at the ruling party.
“They are running around with shirts and food. They are running around with everything, but why are they not running around about development? We want change. We want jobs. We want better schools and roads, as well as better sanitation. But we are getting t-shirts and drought relief,’’ he said.
The PDM plans to ensure that every family has access to proper sanitation in their communities through their ‘One Family, One Toilet’ initiative.
He said they will reduce the spread of diseases, ease the burden on the healthcare system, and restore dignity to people.
“This is not just an election promise. It is a commitment to the health and well-being of every Namibian. Furthermore, we cannot overlook the intolerable burden on our healthcare system, especially in these regions, when discussing healthcare. Namibia’s healthcare system is in danger of failing,” he stated.