Hileni Mwandingi
OTJINENE – Omaheke regional governor Festus Ueitele has pledged to offer his full support to business activities that are providing employment opportunities in the region.
The governor was speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new commercial development by O-YNE Investment cc this past Friday at Otjinene settlement.
Ueitele said that his primary responsibility as a governor is to be the custodian for the development. He added that this obligation is a shared one, which requires everyone to play a role in the socio-economic development of the region. He thus applauded O-YNE Investment for a massive project, a first of its kind in the region and by the locals themselves.
“I am sure business people do apply their minds and they do thorough consideration of pros and cons before taking on projects of this magnitude. This is a regional first and more so owned by the previously disadvantaged Namibians. Your effort indeed takes a lot of guts, with power and commitment to push through,” he said. Speaking at the same event, O-YNE Investment chairman, Joshua Kahikuata, said he has witnessed how the dusty little cattle post of Otjinene was transforming and developing into what it is today.
He added that the idea of constructing a project of such magnitude was inspired by the development potential of the settlement.
Kahikuata noted that investors are usually reluctant and not interested to invest in small towns, but for Otjinene, the geographic location is an advantage. “Many people underestimate the potential of small towns such as Otjinene, and many times people ask why a mall in Otjinene? Our answer to that is the favourable centralised geographic location of Otjinene. Otjinene is a semi-urban town with a massive surrounding rural agricultural based community, with major road linkage to north, south, west and proximity to Botswana.”
Kahikuata further implored Namibians to show commitment towards development, be innovative and invest in their own country.
The deputy chairperson of the Otjinene Village Council requested that local residents be considered first when it comes to construction work. The O-YNE Investment was founded in 2013 with objectives of identifying investment opportunities primarily in property, housing development and commercial properties.
Apart from the upcoming project in Otjinene, the company will also embark on constructing a mall in Windhoek next year.
The construction of the new Otjinene development is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2020 and upon completion, the development will offer a shopping mall, medical health facilities, maternity ward, wholesale and agricultural supplies, an upmarket hotel and conference centre, commercial housing, a fuel station and a truck port.