NKURENKURU - The re-elected Nkurenkuru mayor Erastus Sitentu Kandjimi says the town has made remarkable progress towards its development.
“As I continue in this new term, for me it is an honour and equally a humbling experience to accept the re-election. I commit this morning that our achievements can never be measured by the quality of speeches we make, but by the drive we put in to improve the lives of the masses that sent us here,” he said in his acceptance speech on Friday.
I am sure this is not necessarily a moment to celebrate, but a moment to gather more strength and drive in preparation to continue in our journey to deliver on our mandate of a better life for all.”
Kandjimi said the electrification of Kahenge Proper Phase 1, which includes streetlights, erf connections and construction of a substation, are some of the achievements of his tenure.
He also highlighted the construction of roads and sewer services at Nkurenkuru Extension 3, as well as the construction of the emergency and fire station that was officially handed over to council on 20 November 2019.
The council also entered into a joint venture with the Development Bank of Namibia to construct 300 houses at Extension 6. “There has been a construction of eighty-one (81) affordable houses by labour Investment Holdings at Nkurenkuru Extension 2, where forty-four (44) houses were constructed and nineteen (19) houses were handed over to the owners.
Nkurenkuru also saw the construction of thirty (30) affordable houses by Kaupa Jv Lithon at Kahenge Proper, where twelve (12) houses were completed and handed to owners, and 3 other houses are also ready to be occupied,” he said.
Kandjimi also praised the successful hosting of the first ever Kavango West Regional Investment Conference, organised through the office of the governor as a resounding success.
“These are some of the tangible results of the work my team has done during this period under review, and I am proud to be a member of this dedicated team and associate myself with this legacy and an impressive track record so far indeed,” he said. According to the mayor, although they achieved those milestones, they are also aware of the pertaining issues of the town, like shortage of serviced land, limited fund for capital projects and operational budget, the lack of funds for compensation to pave way for the development, as well as unemployment that is mostly amongst the youth.
The town is also facing urbanisation, poverty and hunger, teenage pregnancy, and alcohol and drug abuse, amongst other issues.