Iuze Mukube 

The youth of the Kunene region have welcomed the 2025/2026 budget tabled by finance minister Ericah Shafudah. 

Deputy minister of international relations and trade, Jenelly Matundu, said this when giving her input on the budget in the National Assembly this week. 

Matundu said the youth had reached out to her to convey that they had been trying hard to start businesses but without capital, this remained a mirage. 

“They were glad to hear that the budget would provide an answer to their calls,” Matundu said. 

She urged the youth to approach various institutions mandated with programmes for youth development and acquire funds to establish microeconomic businesses. 

The deputy minister added that as money is one of the most scarce commodities around, the budget allocation and utilisation demand financial prudence. This is to be done by applying the concept of achieving more with less because the competing institutions have different missions to fulfil, and budget allocations are determined by external and internal factors, which MPs must take note of. 

Disasters 

Matundu then said while the current good rains were highly anticipated, they had brought an unexpected spin off in the form of devastating floods, which are badly affecting many crop fields. 

“Namibia is not spared from environmental factors or challenges like climate change and natural disasters, among others,” she said. 

This is because the crop fields have been washed away and the crops destroyed, leaving farmers desperate. She applauded the government for putting measures through the National Disaster Risk Management policy, to provide national and regional capacity for disaster risk management. 

Usakos killings 

Matundu also mentioned the horrific massacre in Usakos, where six members of a family were allegedly killed by a relative, and praised Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare, who led a delegation to the town to give the bereaved families a shoulder to cry on. 

Drought relief 

Matundu highlighted the difficulties of delivering drought relief food to beneficiaries in remote villages due to inaccessible roads, and expressed happiness that a defence force helicopter helped to deliver food to areas that cannot be reached by road. 

-mukubeiuze@gmail.com

Photo: Heather Erdmann