RUNDU – Residents of Kavango West and Kavango East regions are still waiting for the appointment of a new governor for one of the two regions, after President Hifikepunye Pohamba split the region into two.
While announcing his decision on the recommendations of the 4th Delimitation Commission earlier this month, Pohamba said he accepted the recommendation made by the Delimitation Commission, chaired by Judge Alfred Siboleka, that the Kavango Region be split into two.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Samuel Mbambo is heading both regions until such a time that the president appoints a new political head for one of the regions. It only took the president about six weeks and a few days to appoint Mbambo as the new governor of the erstwhile Kavango Region following the death of Mbambo’s predecessor, Maurus Nekaro, who died on March 04 this year. Rundu has been declared the administrative capital of the Kavango East Region, while Nkurenkuru will be the administrative nerve centre for all government activities in the Kavango West Region.
The two regions have a combined 14 constituencies, six in Kavango East and eight in Kavango West. In an interview with New Era yesterday, the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Dr Albert Kawana, hinted that Mbambo might govern Kavango East. “If the residence of the governor is in Rundu or any place east of Rundu then Kavango East has a governor,” he said.
He said councillors for the new constituencies would only be elected during next year’s regional authority elections. “We have to wait because the law, in terms of regional authorities, says that the next elections must now be done in terms of the new delimitation. As for the governor, we really have to consider what we have at our disposal, because the budget is still not divided. Things such as division of property and the extra structures for Kavango West still need to be sorted out.”
When approached for comment, Mbambo told this reporter there is no official communication so far from the president as to which region he will head, adding that he is ready to serve wherever he is posted. “I will only react when I get something in writing, for the time being, the president is still applying his mind. Until he expresses his opinion through the established channels, only then can we talk officially. I do not want to speculate,” said the former diplomat.
“I will however take the command of the commander-in-chief – if he says I must go west, I will go and vice versa, the decision is in the hands of the appointing authority,” he said.
When he announced the recommendations of the 4th Delimitation Commission the president had said: “I have taken great care in considering the recommendations of the commission. I took into account the fact that one of the cardinal principles of our government is efficient service delivery to our nation.” He went on to say: “Our citizens who live in rural areas are entitled to government services just like our citizens who live in urban areas.
“I therefore believe that the delimitation of our country into regions and constituencies, as well as adjustments of the existing constituency boundaries will go a long way in bringing services closer to our people.”
| Constituencies in Kavango East | Constituencies in Kavango West | |
| Mashare | Mpungu | |
| Mukwe | Nkurenkuru | |
| Ndiyona | Tondoro | |
| Ndonga Linena | Musese | |
| Rundu Urban | Kapako | |
| Rundu Rural | Mankumpi | |
| Ncamagoro | ||
| Ncuncuni | ||
By Mathias Haufiku