Olumpelengwa – Agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein has said the ministry has allocated N$15 million to address water shortages in northern regions.
Schlettwein was responding to regional councillor of Okahao constituency and the Omukwaniilwa of Ongandjera Traditional Authority after they registered their water challenges.
He was officiating at the handover of new boreholes at Olumpelengwa in the Ongandjera district. Schlettwein said the ministry will
remain responsive and committed to addressing the water issues with the urgency they
warrant. “We will continue to support farmers during drought periods. We have learned a lesson in 2019 when farmers were negatively affected by the drought,” he said.
The minister hastened to stress that water is life to human beings and livestock, “therefore, it is very important that people have clean water to drink”. He said this will motivate farmers to remain committed to farming if they have access to water. Meanwhile, the minister said the ministry is facing challenges of vandalism and stealing of pipes from boreholes in rural areas.
He urged residents to refrain from vandalism of water infrastructure and report these cases to the relevant authorities.
“We will deal with those who are stealing water pipelines,” he warned. At the same event, Okahao councillor Shikulo Leonard told the agriculture minister that there are seven villages in his constituency that drink saline water, while community members have to walk long distances to fetch water for other daily use. Meanwhile, Omukwaniilwa Johannes Mupiya, urged the minister to provide more boreholes “because people are suffering”.
“Shortage of water has affected the agriculture sector in the traditional district of Aangandjera. Communal farmers don’t have boreholes for their livestock,” Mupiya said.