BERSEBA – IHai-IKhaua Traditional Authority Gaob Johannes Isaack says considering that most of the upcoming energy provision projects will be based in //Kharas region, its residents should be the first to benefit from these new industries in the form of jobs, housing, training and health facilities.
He said this while addressing an audience, including Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, senior ministers, regional governors, fellow traditional leaders, members of the diplomatic corps and the general public during the 13th IHai-IKhaua Traditional Authority festival at Berseba over the weekend.
“We are celebrating this festival against the backdrop of a challenging year lying ahead, difficulties created by a looming drought, food insecurity, youth unemployment and poverty,” he added.
Isaack continued that amid these challenges they, as leaders have a common responsibility to improve the living conditions of the people and create a better tomorrow for future generations. He is, therefore, hopeful and optimistic that they can achieve that through various national projects which are to commence in the
region.
The traditional leader also expressed concern that the youth are visibly missing out on training opportunities:
“The main reason cited was that they do not meet the entry requirements of the training programmes, which seriously begs the question, what kind of education are our children subjected to that not even a handful are meeting the said requirements?”
Isaack continued: “We as traditional leaders, therefore, resolved to engage the various stakeholders to get the depth of the challenges in our education sector as a matter of urgency.”
In his contribution, Nama Traditional Leaders Association vice chairman, Gaob David Hanse strongly condemned the notion that label the Nama people as lazy and useless drunkards.
“This statement deserves to be exterminated from the face of the earth with immediate effect,” he stressed.
Hanse also bemoaned the fact that Nama-speaking pupils were previously excluded from the German-Namibian bilateral Green Hydrogen Scholarship Scheme.
In her keynote address on behalf of President Nangolo Mbumba, Vice-President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah gave the assurance that government will address economic challenges facing the country by embarking upon the enhancement of the natural resources and paying attention to agricultural production and processing.
“With the diversification of our national economy, which is now venturing into new industries such as oil, gas and green energy, our government will make sure that communities, particularly in the //Kharas region, considering that most of those operations are based here, the residents of the region will be the first to benefit from these new industries in the form of job creation, housing, training and health facilities,” she said.
– sklukowski@nepc.com.na
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