Adolf Kaure
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare stressed Namibia’s commitment to ensure food security at all levels countrywide.
He was speaking at a handover of rice worth N$61 million, which was donated from the Republic of South Korea to the Office of the Prime Minister to be used for drought relief.
The donation comprises 4 896 tonnes of rice produced in South Korea for Namibia.
“Our goal in government is to become self-sufficient in food production,” said Ngurare. The Prime Minister also highlighted how, under special projects under his office, with the assistance of World Food Programme technical expertise and other stakeholders, 92 unemployed young people were recruited to debush the land in the Otjombinde. “That process has worked marvellously. As for the quote that I received from the councillor, that land has now been fenced off after debushing, we drilled a borehole on it, and we installed the facilities for irrigation. As we speak, we are waiting for a bumper harvest so that the community of Talismanus and those in Ojtombinde can be able to have food directly,” he said.
South Korea’s ambassador to Namibia, Kwang-Jin Choi, said the donation is more than a transfer of resources but is a “symbol of Korea’s unwavering commitment to stand with Namibia in times of unpredictable challenges”.
Ngurare commended the Republic of South Korea for maintaining a bilateral relationship with Namibia for 36 years.
“There have been a lot of collaborations and skills transfers. We would like to continue with that, especially with the young professionals of our country.
“We have so many young people trained in agriculture, and they can be harnessed so that we can make this sustainable,” the Prime Minister remarked.
Ambassador Choi acknowledged Ngurare’s sentiments and noted that true friendship is not celebrated only in times of prosperity but proven during times of difficulty. “When Namibia was struck hard with disastrous drought in 2024, Korea moved swiftly to provide US$500 000 (N$8.4 million) worth of humanitarian aid to help 25 000 drought-affected individuals – again in partnership with the World Food Programme. Korea is dedicated to improving the well-being of the people of Namibia in times of shared vulnerability,” said Choi.
An estimated 300 000 Namibians will benefit from the donation.