By Surihe Gaomas DIVUNDU Although the Kavango Region is destined to become Namibia’s breadbasket through the green scheme project, the region faces a myriad of problems in terms of development and food security because of drought. Briefing President Hifikepunye Pohamba at the Regional Council headquarters in Rundu over the weekend, Governor of the Kavango Region, John Thighuru, said the most pressing challenge facing the region was the low rainfall pattern that could rob the region of its status as the leading provider of grain and other food. “Poor rainfall distribution since the beginning of the rainy season will have serious implications on food security at household level,” said Thighuru. The dry spells experienced during the past five months are not suitable for good crop production and particularly for a bumper harvest. What Thighuru termed “dangerous quelea birds that are eating up the little crops that are coming up” further worsens the situation. Beside this, other challenges remain such as animal-human conflict where villagers’ plantations are destroyed by marauding game such as elephants that eat huge quantities of their crops. Crocodiles also threaten communities and their livestock in remote parts of the region as well as attacks by hippos. There is also the menace of lions in the areas of Bagani, Kamutjionga, Dimwagha, Shutu and Popa. “There is no compensation for those who are suffering under these problem animals. These problem animals are even more protected than human beings,” explained Thighuru. On education, Thighuru said while the region was battling with a lack of teachers, the Ministry of Education has taken a stand to lay off 890 un-qualified/under-qualified teachers by the end of this year. And this is being compounded by the fact that only 120 trainee teachers graduate from the Rundu College of Education each year, resulting in the teacher/learner ratio being one of the biggest. Teachers in turn are overloaded with work. “This will have a negative impact on the region and consequently results in high unemployment, contributes to poverty and affects the development of the region,” explained Thighuru. Currently, there is no decentralized full-time centre for the University of Namibia and Polytechnic in the Kavango Region to cater for the north-eastern part of the country. Learners in the region who qualify for UNAM and the Polytechnic find it difficult to get accommodation in Windhoek. Thighuru elaborated that the current 159 pay-points for pensioners is not enough to cover a large area like the Kavango Region. “Our old-age pensioners travel long distances to get their allowances, some are being transported in open sledges to the pay-points,” he said. Health service delivery is also hard to come by for most of the villagers in Kavango. The current policy of the Ministry of Health and Social Services in terms of providing a clinic in rural areas with a requirement of 8 000 people in a radius of not more than 25 kilometers makes it difficult for a sick person to reach the nearest clinic in remote areas. Another health concern is that the Kaisosi sewerage ponds in Rundu are overflowing, resulting in raw sewerage contaminating the Kavango River. “This is posing a health hazard to the people and is polluting the surrounding environment and needs government intervention to rescue our town from this situation,” he said. Another burning issue is the emerging border dispute amongst existing tribes in the Kavango. This is becoming a matter of great concern. However consultations to officially demarcate the boundary between Mbunza and Shambyu tribes are in the offing. A team from the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement to set up beacons is also in the region. “However, this needs support from the highest level to mitigate the situation,” he added. On customary land rights, communal farmers, unlike commercial farmers, are still disadvantaged in the sense that such rights cannot be used as collateral to secure financial assistance from financial institutions, Thighuru told the president.