ONAYENA – Onayena constituency councillor Kamati Mateus has urged potential investors to contribute to the development of the settlement to transform it into a town.
Mateus told Nampa that there is more reliance on Ondangwa – which is about 28.6km away – for the provision of services currently.
He said Onayena received settlement status in 1997, but has not progressed towards achieving town status. Hence, his attempts to attract investors in order to speed up the settlement’s transformation.
“Since I joined the office in 2020, I have been looking for ideas and investors to develop our settlement,” added Mateus.
He also raised concerns about the low number of schools, and youth unemployment here.
“We have over 40 000 people and a total of 16 schools in our area, with only three secondary schools, catering for 32 villages in the constituency. We have many unemployed youth,” he said.
Mateus said there are quite many business opportunities in Onayena, and those interested in investing can look into opening clothing stores and private medical practices, as well as offering veterinary services and banking facilities.
“We have a lot of farmers here, so it is a great opportunity to develop the town with this sector. An investor can possibly come on board and invest in our farmers,” he urged. The councillor asserted that the transformation of Onayena into a town would yield numerous job opportunities, contributing to both local youth empowerment and broader socio-economic development.
“We found some investors who are willing to develop our area, and I want to encourage the people of the Onayena constituency to cooperate with them,” said Mateus.
He also highlighted the historical significance of Onayena in Namibia’s liberation struggle.
“Onayena is a vital area on the Namibian map as well as abroad because the first evangelical settlers came to this area,” he noted.
Mateus elaborated on the political importance of Onayena, saying several politicians, including the late Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, commenced their political careers in the area.
Kuku Ester Niilonga ya Haipinge, sister of the late Dr Nickey Iiyambo, also expressed her strong desire for Onayena’s development into a town, citing the area’s rich history and numerous prominent figures.
“Onayena was supposed to be the main town in the Oshikoto region, where all the regional offices operate from,” she reasoned.
Expressing her hopes for progress, Haipinge said the community is eager to enjoy the fruits of the liberation struggle after 33 years.
– Nampa