WINDHOEK- Although Namibia faces a crippling drought with 900 000 people affected in the throes of the drought, some residents in the Zambezi have started ploughing, capitalising on the moisture left by last year’s devastating flood that swamped the north-east region.

Raphael Mbala the Chairperson of the Caprivi Regional Disaster Risk Management Committee, who is also Kabbe Constituency Councillor yesterday said although the bigger part of the Zambezi Region is dry, people in the floodplains started ploughing already by August (last month) and are expected to harvest by February next year.

Early August, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry had already delivered half of the 10 tonnes of hybrid maize seed destined for Zambezi flood victims.
This followed a directive by Agriculture, Water and Forestry Minister, John Mutorwa, who announced on July 26 that his ministry would be providing free maize and mahangu seeds to drought and flood-affected farmers at a total cost of N$5 million.
There are about 13 000 crop farmers in the region that lost their harvests due to flooding earlier this year. They were evacuated to relocation camps, where they stayed for close to four months, after which 700 families returned to their flood-prone villages.
“We are thankful to the ministry of agriculture for distributing seeds to our people. We hope tractors will now follow suit so they can start ploughing. The moisture that was left by the floodwater will sustain the crops until the rain comes in November. And then by December, people can start eating fresh maize and by January they can start harvesting,” Mbala told New Era in a telephone interview.

Regarding the drought relief food distribution process, he said the region is done with the first round which was about 60 000 tonnes of 12,5-kilogramme bags of maize meal and relish ranging from tinned beef to offal. He however stressed that the first consignment was not enough for the whole region which has about 62 000 registered needy residents.

“We are currently busy compiling a  report to the Prime Minister’s Office that the food is not enough. We are waiting for the second consignment. Our animals are also affected except those in the floodplains (Kabbe areas) because there is still water and grass left by floods. Some animals have died but not on a big scale,” he said.

Moreover, he said some parts of Kabbe South are not accessible because there are still streams with water – making it difficult for trucks with food relief to reach the affected communities.

“When the second consignment arrives, we will make sure that those people who did not get food during the first round will receive food first so everyone gets food equally,” Mbala indicated.

By Albertina Nakale