TSUMEB – Swapo candidate for the National Assembly Engel Nawatiseb says profits from natural resources in the Oshikoto Region should also benefit the San communities in the region.
Nawatiseb, who is the former mayor of Tsumeb, said mining and smelting companies at Tsumeb have established community trust funds that mostly benefit local companies and SMEs from the town.
He stressed that company policies which influence the modus operandi of the respective trust funds should make provision to empower initiatives of the San since they are the original inhabitants who along with Ondonga traders smelted and traded copper ore and related products at Lake Otjikoto.
“The multi-national companies operating in Oshikoto should also assist with efforts to benefit the San through the region’s mineral resources,” said Nawatiseb who was addressing a Swapo rally at Tsintsabis and Farm Welmoed over the weekend.
He said government has done a lot to improve the living conditions of the formerly marginalised San in the country, pointing out that government allocated farming units and sponsored goats and cattle to them.
“Most of you became successful emerging farmers, boast the abilities to feed your children and are able to send your children to school. The government and traditional leadership should continue to assist those that are struggling to keep up with challenges related to farming to ensure that no family fails in their bid to farm successfully,” he said.
Nawatiseb however expressed disappointment at the slow implementation of commercial activities at the centre that was donated to the San community by the Roads Construction Company (RCC) after the completion of the Tsintsabis/Katwitwi project two years ago.
He lamented the leadership for not being pro-active to lure investors to the centre to boost economic activities at the village.
Nawatiseb offered to organize an investors’ conference to attract investors to Tsintsabis to capitalize on opportunities that could be created by the Katwitwi/Windhoek trade corridor.
“I will first mobilise the leadership here to produce a strong profile that can present the potential and business opportunities available at the settlement. Thereafter, the local leadership can use the analysis to lobby government to proclaim Tsintsabis as a village council because it is located along a strategic breadline and economic corridor of the Trans Kunene trade link,” he said.
By Rochelle Neidel