KALPAN, EPUKIRO – While conditions of grazing continue to deteriorate, drought-stricken residents in Epukiro Constituency in Omaheke say they are yet to benefit from the drought relief food, which is said to have cost government in the region of N$131 milllion so far, New Era has learned.
Speaking to New Era here over the weekend, residents of this drought prone constituency told this reporter that apart from a bag of maize meal and a tin of fish some received some four months back, they were not given any drought relief food yet.
This, was also confirmed by Ovaherero Chief in the Epukiro Constituency, Chief Turi Murise who said they were asked to submit names of those in need some months back, but up-until now they have not received anything.
Following the declaration of drought emergency by President Hage Geingob earlier this year, government is currently giving drought relief food assistance to all needy households who meet the criteria of income threshold of not more than N$2,600 per month per household.
For the months June to August 2019, government said a total number of people who benefit from the drought relief food were 42,000 households.
The food items provided consist of 12.5kg maize meal (or mahangu grains), 750 ml of cooking oil and four tins of 440kg fish.
Similarly, government is giving livestock support which consist of free fodder to needy farmers whose income threshold is below N$2,600 per month and whose livestock numbers are below 25 plus a bull for large livestock units.
To-date, government said a total of 62,038 bales of 20kg feeds were distributed to all regions, with a value of N$5.5 million.
According to government, the free fodder was distributed to 250 farmers per regions up to the end of last month.
But, Murise said he is not aware of any of his subject that has benefited from anything else apart from a tin of fish and a bag of maize meal that was given to a few people some four months back.
Similar complains has been raised by several people in the Omaheke Region but New Era could not independently verify this complains as we could not get comment from most of the councillors in Omaheke constituencies yesterday.
Also, efforts to get comment from the Epukiro Constituency Councillor Cornelius Kanguatjivi proved fruitless as his phone was off on Sunday and yesterday.
Similarly, calls to the Omaheke Governor Festus Ueitele were not answered yesterday.