ONGWEDIVA – The Ohangwena region has many reasons to celebrate 33 years of Namibia’s independence.
“This is not only because the region is free from oppression, but also because it has achieved significant levels of development and good governance since independence,” its governor Walde Ndevashiya said proudly.
The region will, therefore, host independence celebration gatherings at regional and constituency levels in order to remember and honour the fallen heroes and heroines “whose blood waters our freedom”.
“In the same vein, we will also celebrate developmental achievements bestowed upon us during the period under review,” he added.
Ndevashiya noted that most importantly, they are celebrating the peace and stability that citizens are enjoying today, and the rule of law which is observed and applied in the Ohangwena region.
The region has been on a development trajectory since independence, he said, adding that
this is evident through the establishment of the three local authorities, which are the Eenhana Town Council, Helao Nafidi Town Council, and Okongo Village Council.
The region also boasts tremendous growth in terms of housing and serviced land from the aforesaid local authorities.
“Development progress can be observed in rural electrification, and the construction of new schools and health facilities in the rural parts of the region,” stated the governor.
Although it covers only certain parts of the region, another milestone is the telecommunication networks. Thus, more still needs to be done to extend these services to rural communities, expressed Ndevashiya.
During the year 2022, the region witnessed the official opening of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) Eenhana campus, which creates access for more students to higher education in the region.
“As much as there is more to celebrate, there are definitely great challenges which are facing our region. These challenges range from inadequate classrooms to insufficient good roads (gravel and bitumen surface roads).”
Water challenges, he admitted, do not only pose a great risk in the region, but to food security too. This is attributed to budgetary constraints.
“The region is faced with a high youth unemployment rate, which currently stands at 51.4%. The tourism sector is under-developed, and there is a need to fully explore its potential in the region,” noted Ndevashiya.