RUNDU - The NBC radio network tower stationed at Shamvura village, Ndiyona Constituency in Kavango East, which got damaged in March last year, is still unfixed.

Residents in the area – who are craving for information through the national broadcaster’s arirwaves – say they feel disadvantaged by the situation.

The tower used to provide frequencies from Ndonga Linena village in Ndonga Linena Constituency to Ndiyona Constituency all the way to Tjova village in Mukwe Constituency.

The tower also benefited some villages in the hinterland of the mentioned constituencies.
The natives in the area informed New Era that they have a serious problem getting radio reception. Sometimes they would connect a long wire and raise it with a long pole and if lucky get a network, but they described the situation as a crisis.

“We are not getting informed of whatever is happening around the country; this has been going on for long. Ever since the NBC radio reception tower fell down we have not received radio reception and this is really a problem to us because information is important and we rely on radio news and public service announcements to be informed,” said Imgard Likuwa, 37, from Shinyungwe village in Ndiyona Constituency.

“We miss out on many things and only get it days later when we travel to other villages or towns and so on,” she added.

Radio helps take communication into areas without or with poor cellphone services, “We rely mainly on radio for credible and factual information, if it can be fixed it would really help us in these rural areas that are affected,” she said.

Umbi Karuaihe-Upi, the corporation’s spokesperson, said the NBC has already awarded the contract to repair the tower and it will soon be fixed. “It’s in a process to be repaired,” said Karuaihe-Upi.