Okalongo
Heavy rains that fell in Omusati Region, particularly in the Okalongo area, have resulted in a number of people being cut off from access roads, posing threats to a number of schools in the constituency.
According to Okalongo Constituency Councillor Laurentius Iipinge, children in junior grades at a number of schools in the constituency have remained at home for a few days because the water levels in oshanas were high.
Iipinge said the constituency received good rains last week, which were boosted by a wave of what seemed to be riverine floodwater from Angola. As a result, villages have been cut off from access roads and a number of people have to travel longer distances than usual to schools, towns and hospital to avoid the flooded oshanas.
“Like right now I had to travel a distance of at least 20 kilometres instead of five kilometres because the access roads are flooded,” said Iipinge.
The schools that are under serious threat include Onkambadhala, Elago and John Shekuza.
Iipinge said the constituency which is on the Namibia/Angola border has over the years seen most schools cut off during the rainy season.
He said apart from the three schools that are under serious threat seven other schools may also find themselves in a similar situation if it continues raining as there are no access roads to such schools. Thus, there is a great and urgent need to build access gravel roads to such schools.
However, the Director of Education in Omusati Region Laban Shapange said no school or grade was closed in Okalongo Constituency.
“The schools in question have indicated that they do not have a problem. The level of water was a bit high last week, but it only lasted for one or two days.”
A hydrologist in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Leonard Hango, said the water that has flooded Okalongo “is rainwater”.
He said the Okalongo area and the southern part of Angola have received good rain, which resulted in the flooding of the constituency.