Zebaldt Ngaruka 

Recent strong winds and rain caused severe damage to the water infrastructure and homesteads at Otjovakueuva village in the Omaheke region.

Hitjivirue Kaputu, who is the chairperson of the village water point committee, said the damage added a heavy load to the already-scarce resource in the settlement.

“This is another catastrophe. We are already hit by drought, and the water level subsides. Therefore, water scarcity will increase again,” he stressed. 

The chairperson said five solar panels have been destroyed, and they are now using a generator to get water for both humans and livestock. 

“It is very difficult to cope, as the village comprising 16 homesteads share one water point, and this is the season of difficulty. Some cattle are weak and unable to move by themselves to the water point,” he added. 

While the villagers are struggling to solve the matter by themselves, Kaputu called on other good Samaritans to help with this calamity.

In addition to the destruction of the water infrastructure, the strong winds also damaged the houses’ roofs, leaving some villagers to sleep in the open.

One of the victims, Kapitire Kavikairiua, told New Era: “The wind caused huge damage to my house. But luckily, no life has been lost, and I am now left with no other option but to replace it before the rain comes again”.

Asked what the council office could do, Otjombinde constituency councillor Wenzel Kavaka said he was not informed about the matter, but will tackle it. 

“We have had network problems since Sunday; radio communications are affected in the constituency,” he noted. Kavaka then gave the assurance that the constituency’s risk and disaster management committee would be going to the affected village to assess the damage.

Otjovakueuva is situated about 80 kilometres north of Tallismanus. 

- zngaruka@yahoo.com