Ongwediva
Omusati Regional Governor Erginus Endjala has said sanitation in Omusati remains an impediment with 52 per cent of the population of 243 166 having access to clean, potable water.
Equally alarming, the governor said the majority of Omusati residents continue to relieve themselves in nearby bushes.
Speaking at a consultative meeting with the regional leadership recently, the governor said Omusati has embarked upon the construction of pit latrines to address the issue.
To date, some 369 pit latrines were constructed during the financial years 2013, 2014 and the current financial year.
“Omusati Regional Council constructed 228 seats during the financial year 2013/14, while 141 seats were constructed during the financial year 2014/15. Despite such efforts, the majority of our people still continue to use bushes when nature calls,” said the regional governor.
He said although the whole region is affected, Otamanzi Constituency remains one of the poorest constituencies with only 25 percent of the households having access to proper sanitation.
Equally alarming is the provision of health services. The governor singled out the health sector as one of the areas that also remains a challenge to the region.
Currently, the region has 17 doctors and about 530 beds for all the health facilities for about a population of 277 713, including ailing people from neighbouring countries.
“This implies that one bed is being occupied by about 534 patients while one doctor treats between 300 to 400 patients per day. This scenario is extremely abnormal and cannot be left to persist any longer,” remarked the governor.
The unemployment rate in the region stands at 49 percent with 50 percent employed in agriculture while about 2 percent are either in manufacturing, tourism and logistics.
Okalongo, Etayi and Otamanzi constituencies still remain the poorest because their income is largely generated through old-age pension grants paid to people aged 60 and above.
Onesi Constituency depends on subsistence farming and other related activities.
Endjala said the statistics presented should be used as evidence to lead fruitful discussion to chart the way forward in tackling the menace of poverty, unemployment, and stagnant local economy, lack of industrialisation and income disparities without hesitation.
Similarly, he said the presented evidence should also serve as a reminder to move in unison and to strategize to address the narrated challenges within the next four-and-a-half years.
He said sectors such as agriculture, tourism, training of youth, industrialisation and construction have the potential to further create employment opportunities in the region.