WINDHOEK– Windhoek Rural Councillor Frederick Arie says the unavailability of land in his constituency is hampering developmental plans.
Speaking recently to New Era regarding his achievements and some of the challenges he faced over the years since he became a councillor, Arie said although government has the funds ready to develop the area, the unavailability of land hampers any meaningful development in the constituency. “There are no secondary schools in my constituency and learners end up flocking to Windhoek due to the unavailability of land. We cannot build a secondary school. Government has funds ready, but there is no land,” he reiterated. Another challenge he singled out was the practice of land grabbing, particularly around Mix location near Brakwater and in Dordabis. “People erect their shacks there without permission from the relevant authorities. Land grabbing is a serious concern. I normally tell my people to be patient, while government is busy addressing the issue,” he noted.
He further said his office has already approached the City of Windhoek to properly demarcate the Mix settlement in order to minimise land grabbing. Asked whether he would run for re-election in future polls, he said: “I will stand if my people still have that confidence in me as they had for the past eight years.” Arie took office as the Windhoek Rural councillor in 2004 and was re-elected in 2010. Some of his major achievements he said include the completion of a bridge at Groot-Aub. The construction of the bridge came about after a request from the community, following many years of struggling to cross the Uiseb River, especially during the rainy season. Groot-Aub is situated 60km south of Windhoek and is home to about 6 000 residents, most of whom are employed in Windhoek, while there also a few small-scale farmers in the area. Over the years, the river prevented residents from travelling to Windhoek to access services such as shopping, hospitals, schools and work. Moreover, several cars have also been swept away by the river and patients in urgent need of medical treatment in Windhoek could not be transported. He could however not confirm the exact date when the bridge would be open to traffic. Arie also said they managed to tar the road from the B1 highway into Groot-Aub.
“Government is currently tarring the road from the Rehoboth-Windhoek T-junction. It is nearing completion. It will be opened before the end of the year,” he indicated. Arie said his office donated goats to communities at Baumgartsbrunn, Kwakwas and Autabib. “The programme is still ongoing. We have budgeted for the goat project to help alleviate poverty among communities. We also helped to resettle evicted communities such as the //Naosan, /Aes, Stinkwater and farm Versailes,” Arie said.
By Albertina Nakale