Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Drought relief donations jealously guarded from abuse – Nashandi

Home National Drought relief donations jealously guarded from abuse – Nashandi

WINDHOEK – The executive director in the Office of the Prime Minister I-Ben Natangwe Nashandi says the government has tight mechanisms in place to ensure the drought relief programme is not open to abuse. This is to prevent resources, especially those donated lately, ending up in individuals’ pockets.

Nashandi, in an interview with New Era, said the government has developed clear criteria for drought relief beneficiaries to be identified by the regions and various documents should be submitted when they apply for support. 

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said in the National Assembly last month that the government has so far spent about N$40 million on its drought relief programme. She was responding to questions by opposition members Jennifer van den Heever of the Popular Democratic Movement and Madala Nauyoma of the All People’s Party. Out of the N$40 million the government has so far spent on the implementation of the drought relief programme, a total of about N$30.5 million has been transferred to regional councils for water provision, including rehabilitation and installation of boreholes. According to Nanshandi, monitoring and evaluation are ongoing to ensure that conditions for each support programme are adhered to.

Of the N$40 million that the government has so far spent on the drought relief programme, an amount of N$4.83 million has been allocated for the purchase of food items for June to August. Another N$1.26 million has been allocated for logistics such as transport costs, while an amount of N$3.35 million has been channeled for the purchase of animal feed. He said the expenditure for all items was done strictly in compliance with the Public Procurement Act, 2015. 

He further noted that maize grains were bought from the Agro-Marketing Trading Agency (Amta) and are stored in their silos. 

Currently, he said, the Office of the Prime Minister requires the services of registered millers to mill, package and deliver. The list of registered millers is obtainable from Amta. 

According to him, cooking oil has so far been purchased from large wholesalers, while they are working on expressions of interest that were open to all prospective suppliers. 

Moreover, he said, fodder was purchased from green schemes and also from local producers.  Nashandi reiterated that the government has introduced several interventions to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers during the drought. 

He emphasised that the government through the National Emergency Disaster Fund has so far spent money on various drought relief interventions.

Since the programme is not meant for well-off individuals, New Era wanted to know how many farmers have been registered and how many have benefited in terms of animal fodder and licks. Nashandi explained that a total of 3 500 farmers have been registered and 2 000 farmers are expected to benefit from the programme during the first distribution of fodder.  He said the distribution of fodder is ongoing.