2017-03-16Staff Report 2 Nuusita Ashipala Ongwediva-Business persons at Adolf location in Ondangwa Rural Constituency have been waiting in vain for the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority to allocate them a piece of land to dump refuse collected daily at the location. The business community has been waiting for at least eight months now for an answer. Currently, business owners dump refuse in the Omaalala stream, which poses a health threat to people and animals likely to drink the water. People living along the stream have complained of an unbearable smell from the water and that it poses a health risk. Stinking discarded pelts are among the rubbish dumped in the stream, of livestock slaughtered at Adolf for the popular kapana. Constituency Councillor for Ondangwa Rural Abraham Kaushiweni concurred with the community. He said meetings with the traditional authority as well as officials from primary health care were held at the location to address the problem. As a result the issuing of liquor licences were put on hold to enable the community to clean their surroundings. “We provided a tractor and the place was cleaned. And this we did to promote the welfare of our people,” said Kaushiweni. Kaushiweni said that although dumping rubbish in the stream is a health hazard, he reckons the community needs an accessible dumping site. “We are concerned about the rubbish, but at the same time we also need land,” said Kaushiweni. Meanwhile, recyclers frequent the site to reduce the rubbish entering the stream. Senior head of the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority Amon Shipanga said the authority has no objection to grant the community land should it be available. “The headmen in the villages are in a better position to know if land is available and they are the ones who can allocate land,” said Shipanga. 2017-03-16Staff Report 2
