Lylies Joel

NKURENKURU – Kavango West governor Verna Sinimbo has emphasised regional ownership and encouraged the community to take an active role in the stewardship of water resources in the region.

She was speaking on Tuesday during a visit to borehole sites at the Kakuro, Kamupupu, and Wiwi areas in Kavango West by delegates from Navachab Gold Mine.

Sinimbo explained that the purpose of the visit was to comprehensively assess the current status of the boreholes in the region.

“We are here to evaluate the condition and functionality of these vital water sources, discuss rehabilitation needs and strategies to ensure their continued service, and to foster community ownership and responsibility for maintaining these facilities,” said Sinimbo.

During the visit, Sinimbo had discussions with local community representatives regarding borehole performances and challenges. The representatives said there are huge distances between the boreholes and people’s homes, and they only have one tank, and the water pressure is low.

“The distance between our houses and boreholes is huge and some people walk long distances to get water, hence we are requesting for an extra pipe to bring water closer to these people. The pipe conveying water is a too small, so we would like to have a bigger pipe as well and an additional tank as the one we have cannot sustain us since we share the water with our livestock,” said members of the community.

Navachab Gold Mine Senior Public Relations and Communications Manager, Mclyn Kasale said they have plans to add three more boreholes to the region after the assessment of the current situation, and also to answer the community’s request as the programme is designed to provide communities with access to clean, safe drinking water, thereby supporting regional development.

So far, Navachab Gold Mine has drilled three boreholes in the Kavango West region as part of its corporate social responsibility. -Nampa