TSUMKWE
Tsumkwe residents on Friday complained to President Hage Geingob about lack of development in their constituency. The residents complained to the President at a general public meeting held here on Friday during Geingob’s one-day familiarisation visit.
Zohunda Marenga (55) expressed concern about the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, which he said has allegedly failed to supply sufficient clean drinking water to farmers and their livestock.
Marenga said the people of Tsumkwe share water points with their animals. “Besides sharing the little water we have, our animals in most cases drink water at sewage ponds around Tsumkwe,” Marenga said.
Ngombe Ngombe, 45, asked Geingob why the Grootfontein-Tsumkwe gravel road is still not tarred, 25 years after independence. A lot of lives have been lost due to accidents as a result of the poor condition of the road, Ngombe said.
He also complained about the absence of a radio transmitter for the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)’s Otjiherero Radio Service around Tsumkwe and Gam areas.
Another resident, 35-year-old Dam Jackson asked why Tsumkwe still does not have proper electricity supply infrastructure. He said only a few Tsumkwe residents are connected to the electricity produced by the solar panel systems here.
Geingob, on his part, said government is busy developing infrastructure and services across the whole nation. He urged the Tsumkwe community to stop complaining all the time and instead to work hard.
The President encouraged them to start small gardens or community garden projects so that they can ask government to assist them with what they do not have, instead of wasting time complaining about lack of development in Tsumkwe – an issue government is well aware of.
On the issue of water, Agriculture, Water and Forestry Minister John Mutorwa urged the Tsumkwe community members to stop waiting for the President to come to their areas to complain to him.
He said his office expects community members around the country to request basic services from him, saying he is prepared to react to such requests, mostly those that have been put on paper.
Mutorwa, Presidential Affairs Minister Frans Kapofi and Information, Communication and Technology Minister Tjekero Tweya accompanied Geingob.
Minister in the Presidency in charge of Economic Planning and Director-General of the National Planning Commission (NPC) Tom Alweendo, Deputy Minister of Marginalised Communities in the Office of the Vice President Royal /Ui/o/oo, Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development Sylvia Makgone and Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services Juliet Kavetuna also attended the meeting. Also at the meeting were Otjozondjupa Regional Governor Otto Ipinge and Tsumkwe Constituency councillor Francina Hishekwa-Ghauz.
Tsumkwe is situated more than 260 kilometres east of Grootfontein in the Otjozondjupa Region.
– Nampa