Alvine Kapitako
Windhoek-A new governor for Kunene Region will be appointed when President Hage Geingob is ready, the press secretary in the presidency, Albertus Aochamub, said on Monday.
“The absence of a governor doesn’t mean that government stops working,” said Aochamub, when asked when the country can expect the appointment of a new governor for the region, following the death of the late governor Angelika Muharukwa on October 1.
Aochamub, who did not give details on a possible date of appointment, said there was a mourning period to be observed, explaining that it would seem “uncultured” or insensitive if a new governor were appointed right away.
He however stressed that President Hage Geingob would appoint the Governor in due course
“It will not be (Katuutire) Kaura as some people are assuming,” Aochamub added. Opuwo Rural Constituency Councillor Kazeongere Tjeundo said it was not so much about the person who is appointed, but whether they would execute the vision for the region.
Kunene Region was plagued by severe drought for the past seven years and is one of the poorest regions in the country. According to a recent report by the Namibia Statistics Agency, Kunene Region is one of the poorest regions in Namibia, with Epupa Constituency in that region, being amongst the very poorest.
Despite this, most poverty indicators suggest that poverty levels have declined over the last five years, as per the NSA’s Namibia Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2015/2016 report.
In a telephonic interview this week Tjeundo said: “We need a person who will look widely towards the needs of the people of Kunene and who understands the dynamics of the region.”