Aletta Shikololo
KAMANJAB – More than 400 youths from the 14 regions across the country worked on the dilapidated fence of
Etosha National Park and rebuilt the damaged elephant protection wall in Makalani village in Kunene Region as part of the commemoration of National Youth Week.
Recent reports have indicated the Etosha National Park fence is in a sorry state, allowing animals including dangerous predators to escape from the park. Ministry of Environment and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda indicated that the fence is mostly damaged by big game species such as elephants. He added that the ministry has been working
on rehabilitating the dilapidated fence but with very slow progress due to limited financial resources.
Muyunda said that normal maintenance of the fence is done by staff members while the construction of the elephant-proof fence is done by contractors selected through a tender process. In an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the National Youth Week, Muyunda said he appreciated the gesture demonstrated by the young people, adding that it is a boost to the
ongoing conservation efforts of the ministry. He encouraged young people to continue supporting wildlife conservation to benefit the Namibian society through employment creation, income generation and economic development.
The youth covered a distance of seven kilometres in repairing the part of the damaged Etosha fence, while the elephant protection wall around the water pump at Makalani village was built to its completion. The youth week took place between April 24 and 27 in Kamanjab with specific focus on wildlife conservation under the theme ‘Youth united for wildlife conservation’. Likius Tjivikua, a ranger, applauded the youth for helping them build the elephant protection wall and added that everything was made easier for them. He said: “It is good that our young people have decided to participate in
the conservation of nature. These are our future leaders and if they keep on doing what they did then our country is in good hands.” “It’s a very good initiative; it actually answers the question of what is it that you can do or what is it that you have done for your country. With this initiative young people have demonstrated their ability to contribute positively to nationbuilding,” said Moses Shikerete, a youth delegate from Kavango East.