I wish to raise my concern on issues affecting the Zambezi region in terms of land space.
It is undisputable that the Swapo-led government brought development in Namibia in the form of good roads, provision of housing, tertiary education institutions, the inclusion of Walvis Bay to Namibia, etc.
But on the other hand, people of the Zambezi region have been deprived of land space from Mukuvi to Cheto which has been made to be part of Kavango through the delimitation commissions.
This act by the government has raised untold concerns among the Zambezi region’s residents. It is clear that the Zambezi region is politically, socially and economically oppressed by its own government.
Some major ministerial services are only in Rundu e.g. referral hospital and government garage, which are 524 kilometres from Katima Mulilo.
Zambezi is the richest in terms of agriculture but it is denied the green schemes, has good timber but no furniture factory.
Zambezi has plenty of natural water which the government has not given serious attention to provide for its residents.
The Harambe Prosperity Plan was a good initiative by the current president but it is not applied accordingly because border treaties are signed without proper consultation with the people on the ground.
There are borders like the one at Omaheke and Muhembo in Divundu but we don’t hear of problems with Botswana and South Africa except for Zambezi.
The same goes for the delimitation commission which have been depriving the people of Zambezi their ancestral land. This is a visible sign of segregation as well as application of the divide and rule policy.
Despite our different ethnic groups, we are one Namibia one Nation and nobody should feel left out, yet we are left out in some cases and resources are not proportionately distributed.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Communities and not only traditional authorities should be involved in the form of public meetings.
- More settlements should be established.
- Land that was allocated to government for green schemes should be developed to reduce unemployment.
- Government should attend to people’s serious problems on time and not wait until lives are lost like in the case of the unfortunate Nchindo family and many other lost precious lives which could have been saved.
- Establishment of furniture factories.