OTJINENE – The rapid level of development and social progression the constituency has witnessed over the past decade under Nudo’s leadership is reason enough for the inhabitants to renew the party’s mandate.
This was said by Otjinene constituency councillor Erwin Katjizeu.
Otjinene, which is one of the Omaheke region’s fastest-growing points just behind Gobabis, is rapidly turning into a fully-fledged town as it now boasts a multi-faceted Shoprite shopping complex, a well-resourced magistrate’s court, a police station, two service stations and many other retailers.
With more local and multi-national retailers showing interest in setting up shop in Otjinene, Katjizeu told this publication during the recent Nudo manifesto launch at the town that his party remains the only political formation with the people’s interests at heart, particularly the inhabitants of Otjinene.
“Today, when you go around Otjinene, you will realise that there is simply no reason for one to drive to Gobabis for basic needs because we have everything right here. From top-class filling stations, a Shoprite supermarket, Furnmart furniture store, guest houses, Hungry Lion, Agrimark, Pep and many others, why drive to Gobabis? And all these developments which have created lots of employment opportunities for our people were made possible by the wise and progressive leadership of the Nudo party. In fact, we have over-delivered here in Otjinene,” he boasted.
Otjinene has over 95 villages, which are mostly dominated by livestock farmers, and the settlement is widely recognised for having the largest number of cattle amongst the rural constituencies in the region.
Auctions are held every second week here, and this has contributed to the expansion of businesses, which promotes a high buying power.
Otjinene’s Ozombu-Zovindimba Cultural Heritage site makes a huge contribution to the tourism industry in the constituency,
and plans are afoot for the constituency to establish a historical museum at Otjinene, namely the Kapiringi Museum, which shall showcase war artefacts and activities carried out during the genocidal war.
Key historical artefacts and trees such as the Ozondjete and Ngauzepo trees, and the Kapiringi ox waggon, are some of the features to be showcased at the museum.
Katjizeu stated that all these envisaged projects and many others will only be realised under the political guidance of Nudo, and it is therefore imperative that the constituency’s inhabitants vote wisely at the upcoming elections. “Even those who come from neighbouring constituencies are openly admitting that Nudo has done a great deal of work here in Otjinene.
One thing that people must understand is that all these developments are not just for the benefit of the people of Otjinene, but they are for all Namibians, including foreign truck drivers who pass here every day. It is time for Otjinene to get town status because we are already past the village council status that we currently have. The growth here speaks for itself.”
The constituency also benefitted big-time from the upgrading of the C22 road to bitumen standard, which links Gobabis to Grootfontein through Otjinene, and partly Okondjatu.
The road has eased the business and travel distance for Southern African Development Community truckers heading to Katima Mulilo, as they can enter through Gobabis and head northwards via Otjinene.