WINDHOEK – The general voter registration exercise currently underway across the country, has impacted the distribution of drought relief food to more than 70 000 affected communities in the drought-stricken Kunene Region.
Most of the vehicles used previously in the distribution of drought relief aid have been redeployed in the voter registration exercise and are now being used by officials of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) in the region. Speaking in an Interview with New Era, Kunene regional governor Joshua // Hoebeb yesterday confirmed the dilemma, saying the distribution of drought relief food has been affected negatively by the lack of transportation, due mainly to the voter registration campaign.
The general registration of voters started on January 15 and ends on March 2 countrywide to register eligible voters for National and Presidential elections slated for November later this year.
More than 74 000 people out of a population of 89 000 in the Kunene Region have been affected by severe drought, the worst in 30 years and which is also being experienced in other parts of the country.
“The drought relief food is sustaining the affected people. Government is trying its outmost best to provide food and supplies are available. The problem we are experiencing now to some extent is lack of transportation due to the ongoing voter registration. Most vehicles have been withdrawn to be used for that process and it puts a lot of pressure on the delivery of food,” the governor noted.
//Hoebeb said the remaining vehicles have to be shared by six constituencies in the region, which is mostly mountainous. “They, however are trying their level best to ensure that affected communities receive their monthly food rations. We are active as much as we can with these challenges. And we hope rain will come soon and relieve us from this severe drought,” he said.
Kunene Regional Council chairperson, Dudu Murorua, who is also the regional chairperson of the Disaster Risk Management Committee also confirmed the shortage of vehicles for the distribution of drought relief food.
“We have requested assistance from other line ministries when the registration started to at least assist us with two vehicles to be assigned per constituency. But our request was only partly met, because currently we are using constituency vehicles and few from the line ministries,” Murorua said.
He further said the shortage can however not be described as severe. “Because we are still busy with the few available vehicles to distribute food to the different constituencies.”
According to Governor //Hoebeb large livestock such as cattle are more severely affected by the drought compared to small livestock, such as goats and sheep. He said small livestock are better adapted to drought conditions, because they graze mainly on leaves and other shrubs.
“There is no meaningful rainfall particularly in Kunene north and south. We are bracing ourselves for the third consecutive year of drought. Communal farmers with large livestock are left without hope, because one year is enough for cattle to deteriorate. They are inadequately prepared. How do farmers keep hundreds and hundreds of animals? I think it is more an educational problem, because many farmers do not have education. It is about time that farmers and their unions seriously think about whether Kunene is suitable for large or small livestock farming,” he indicated. Moreover, according to him people in the region must try to break out of the traditional mold “by way of keeping too much livestock during severe droughts, instead of selling them before the situation worsens.” Last year, when President Hifikepunye Pohamba declared a national state of drought emergency for all of desert-fringed Namibia, he also urged farmers to sell off their animals instead of seeing them dying one by one before their eyes.
By Albertina Nakale