Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro
Windhoek-Members of the Eastern Epukiro Farmers Association (EEFA) residing in Windhoek are busy establishing a structure of the farmers’ association in the capital to serve as the ears, eyes and arms if not legs of the mother body, which is based in the village of Omauezonjanda in the Epukiro constituency in the Omaheke region.
After obtaining a mandate from the association’s leadership, two of the leaders of EEFA in Windhoek, Rijamekee Nguvauva from Epukiro, and Soul Rapuika from Otjombinde constituency, who is also the chairperson of the Eiseb branch of EEFA, convened a meeting of EEFA members in Windhoek last Monday to set the wheels rolling. However, members were not quite sure as to the terms of reference of such a structure, nor the exact nature of the structure, whether it was a branch or just a working committee. Still, other members felt that such a structure should be an ad hoc body but eventually agreed that it must be a permanent structure but should take on assignments on an ad hoc basis as may be mandated by the executive committee of the mother body.
But the vexed question at the meeting was the exact mandate of such a structure. It also transpired from one of the longtime members of EEFA, Kamutuua Marenga, that indeed that EEFA has a branch in Windhoek and thus establishing a branch or resuscitating such a branch is within the constitution of the association. Given various suggestions from members regarding programmes and projects that such a branch could engage in, and for which fundraising was necessary, the meeting felt it necessary for the branch to be synchronised with the mother body, especially in view of the fact that some projects are not directly related to farming such as helping schools in the constituency, two of which are in a severe state of dilapidation. Also, the meeting felt it necessary that the branch be in synchronisation with the mother body in whatever it embarks upon given the fact that at any given time EEFA may have urgent priorities and it would not augur well for the branch to work at cross purposes with the mother body in terms of such priorities. Thus the two leaders were mandated to get specific terms of reference from the leadership of the organisation.