Ongenga
The Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Silvia Makgone, says accessibility to social infrastructure and services is a vital prerequisite for economic growth and social development.
Makgone reckons the nation’s critical needs of housing and employment can only be realised if basic municipal infrastructure and services are in place.
The deputy minister was speaking at the commissioning of the N$11.9 million water and sewer reticulation project and plumbing station at Ongenga on Tuesday.
The project was funded through the Trust Fund for Regional Development and Equity Provisions in the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development.
The trust has further committed itself to fund an additional N$12 million under the current financial year to enable the construction of proper oxidation ponds to ensure safe disposal of waste water.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development Daniel Nghidinua said the additional N$12 million was necessitated to ensure water does not flow into oshanas.
“Without oxidation ponds the water would flow into the oshanas and that’s why an additional fund was procured to provide a complete project,” said Nghidinua who is also the chairperson of the trust fund.
The deputy minister cautioned inhabitants of Ongenga settlement to refrain from catching fish from sewerage oxidation ponds.
“The fish from the oxidation ponds is not good for you. You cannot poison yourself,” cautioned Makgone.
Also speaking at the event, Ongenga Constituency Councillor Sakaria Haimudi commended the trust fund, saying that infrastructure will ensure environmental safety for its inhabitants and enhance development in future.
The old sewerage reticulation and pumping station is said to have been dilapidated and as a result had problems pumping disposal to the oxidation ponds.
In addition the current sewage ponds is also said to overflow especially during floods.
At present Ongenga Constituency is home to 800 inhabitants and was declared a settlement in 1997.