ONGWEDIVA – Heavy rains have cut off parts of Otamanzi Constituency from nearby towns. This means health facilities and police offices will soon also be inaccessible to the community surrounded by water.
Among the affected are also teachers who commute from outside their school’s constituency areas such as Oshakati and Onaanda. Schools without proper housing for teachers will have their teachers trapped in the self-constructed zinc houses until the water level subsides.
The Otamanzi Regional Councillor Johannes Iyambo said the constituency only has two roads leading to it from the Oshakati-Ruacana road, which also normally becomes inaccessible when the constituency receives heavy rains.
A teacher at the the Otamanzi Combined School related that following last week’s rains it had become difficult to go to town. “When it rains heavily this side, there are usually one or two cars to take people to town per day or none on the day,” related the teacher, confirming that the situation has forced many teachers at the school to construct corrugated zinc rooms for dwelling at the school.
Presently there is only one road that is accessible to the public as the Onandjo river that runs over the Olundjinda-Otamanzi road is flooded after last week’s rains. Although the Okahao-Otamanzi road is still accessible, it will in due time not be accessible as some parts are already flooded as well.
The situation in the constituency may be worsened by the reported incoming floodwaters from Angola.
Councillor Iyambo confirmed that the constituency only has two clinics with the closest referral hospital being in Okahao, which if the constituency continues to receive more rains may become cut off as well.
By Nuusita Ashipala