WINDHOEK - The councillor of Ruacana Constituency in the Omusati Region, Andreas Shintama says although the initiative of collecting mahangu from community members to help the constituency’s most hungry residents has helped, the reserves have already dried up.

The councillor stated this during a telephonic interview with New Era that week.
Shintama says when the drought relief food that is supplied through the Office of the Prime Minister stopped, his office through village headmen in the constituency decided to source food from those who had a bumper harvest to help feed those who had nothing to eat.

“People responded but not in large numbers. We distributed what we got from the community and now everything is already finished,” explained Shintama.

The regional councillor further noted with concern that although the warehouses are empty, people are still flocking to the office seeking for food.

In 2016, close to 418 000 people were affected by drought in Namibia and have been receiving government assistance of drought relief food from the Office of the Prime Minister.
Registered beneficiaries of drought-relief food have been receiving maize meal, cooking oil and relish.

“The only food that we are currently receiving is of the marginalised communities such as Ovatwe, San and Ovahimba. Drought relief that is distributed to general members of community has stopped completely,” he revealed.
The councillor could not state how many people in his constituency depended on the food relief programme.
Persistent droughts in Namibia have rendered many communities hungry and government’s spending priorities had to be reshuffled sometimes in order to prioritise the most affected 
citizens.