Marythar Kambinda
KATIMA MULILO – Litunga (chief) George Simasiku Mamili VII of the Mafwe Traditional Authority has urged the government to accelerate the expansion of the existing market to absorb locally produced products.
“It is futile to produce in mass and then allow such products go to waste, neither will farmers derive economic benefits from their production costs. I urge the government to devise effective monitoring strategies to ensure compliance with the existing policy by region as such tendencies, if not nipped in the bud, will defeat the good intentions of the policy initiative,” said Mamili VII.
He commended the government for the completion of capital projects in the region, including those that are still running, and implored it to fully utilize acres of land available in the region for agricultural projects.
Mamili VII made the remarks at the annual Lusata Cultural Festival which took place over the weekend.
He said when agricultural projects are realized they have the potential to create employment opportunities that will absorb some of the large number of unemployed youths in the region.
“The realization of these projects will no doubt give credence and breathe new life in the now tired slogan of the Zambezi region being the food basket of Namibia,” he said.
Mamili VII said the region’s long-held vision of being self-sufficient in food production, will not only be rhetoric but will not be realized thus, his call for accelerated expansion of existing markets.
However, he is concerned by the high levels of cattle rustling in the region. He said residents continue to lose cattle to rustling syndicates.
“I call upon community members to apply due diligence when hiring cattle herders and ensure individuals are duly registered to comply with the national laws and ensure ease of tracing by issuing permits for cutting timber and harvesting the devil’s claw,” said Mamili VII.
He appealed to the Environment Ministry to instil in the minds of the people to consider the environmental impact and sustainability.
The traditional leader further requested the government to consider establishing local factories to add value to raw materials such as making furniture from timber and fruit juice from lemons and mangoes which require refrigeration.
Mamili VII discouraged foreigners from illegally exploiting the country’s natural resources but urged community members to use such opportunities to develop the region by creating jobs and broadening the tax base to increase national revenue.
“We are in October which comes with challenges for farmers, as this is when many animals in areas like Sibbinda, Kasheshe, Makanga, Masida, and others die from hunger and thirst due to water shortages as boreholes and pipelines in these areas stop functioning properly for one reason or the other,” he said.
He urged the government to look into these challenges to save the livestock and the people.
– MICT Zambezi Region