Rauna Shikomba

TSUMKWE – Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Anna Shiweda has called on institutions to donate to the different needs of the government as part of their corporate social responsibility. 

Shiweda made this call on Wednesday at the official handover of the refurbished borehole at Ombuu village in the Tsumkwe constituency. 
The borehole was renovated with financial assistance by the Road Fund Administration and Roads Authority.
“The donation does not have to be in the area of water; you can contribute to any need of government,” Shiweda explained. 
The deputy minister said government resources are currently stretched to the limit due to the impact of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic. 

Shiweda said the most resources that were budgeted for other public services were diverted to the fight against Covid-19. 
The biggest challenge to water provision is the lack of infrastructure to pump water from underground, said the minister.
But despite the tight government budget, Shiweda promised her ministry will continue mobilising for resources and deliver water to the communities. 

She said water provision is one of the government priorities, which is in line with the national commitment that no person should walk for more than 2.5km to access water. 
As a result, the government water provision programme prioritises communities where people travel more than 2.5km to access clean drinking water. 
Therefore, the minister made an appeal that “Areas whose water points are a distance of less than 2.5km away should bear with us”.