Windhoek
The newly appointed Okakarara chief executive officer (CEO) Ehrnst Katjiku says residents should look forward to better infrastructure, business development and new jobs under his leadership.
Katjiku, who assumed duty last week, says in order to achieve this, Okakarara has prioritised the expansion of its town boundaries, bearing in mind such a development could attract multiple investors to set up businesses, including a big shopping mall that could see Okakarara residents shopping locally.
He said such developments would strengthen the economic development strategy of the town as Okakarara would then be able to attract other major businesses among other investments.
“What we want is residents here to have similar services such as the ones at Otjiwarongo or even Windhoek,” said Katjiku, who is also the former Daures Constituency councilor.
Okakarara, located some 50 km southeast of Waterberg National Park in Otjozondjupa Region, has a population of close to 7 000 inhabitants. The settlement was declared a town in 1992.
Katjiku says that multiple investments in the town would naturally create more jobs for locals.
He called on ordinary residents and the business community to work together towards achieving economic development.
He also promised to turn Okakarara into a regional agricultural hub.
In this regard, he called on investors to venture into businesses with locals such as an export standard beef processing plant and a lucerne plantation.
He furthermore called on potential investors to forward investment proposals for property development and a modern shopping mall.
On the issue of shortage of housing, Katjiku promised to work hard to provide land for the landless.
“As we are speaking the municipality has already sold land to the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) for building houses on 150 erven, of which 25 were completed,” he said.
He said the town has sold 44 hectares of land to a certain company Viana Tobias for similar purposes. According to him, other housing developments are currently being developed at Okatumba and residents will soon be allocated plots at the said area.
Katjiku believes the town’s dreams can become a reality particularly with the ongoing construction of the Okakarara-Okondjatu road. The new road will link the B1 road to the Trans-Kalahari and Trans-Zambezi roads that are seen as key routes for exporters.