Tsumkwe lacks development

RESIDENTS of Tsumkwe constituency on Friday complained to President Hage Geingob about the lack of development in their constituency.

The residents complained to the President at a public meeting on Friday during Geingob’s one-day familiarisation tour of the constituency. The 55-year-old Zohunda Marenga expressed concern about the ministry of agriculture, water and forestry, which he said allegedly failed to supply sufficient clean drinking water to farmers and their livestock. Marenga said the people of Tsumkwe share water points with animals.

“Besides sharing the little water we have, our animals in most cases drink at sewage ponds around Tsumkwe,” Marenga said.

Ngombe Ngombe (45), asked Geingob why the Grootfontein-Tsumkwe gravel road is still not tarred, 25 years after Independence.

Ngombe said a lot of lives have been lost on this road due to accidents as a result of the poor condition of the road. He also complained about the absence of a radio transmitter for the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)’s Otjiherero Radio Service around Tsumkwe and Gam areas. Another resident, 35-year-old Dam Jackson asked why Tsumkwe still does not have proper electricity supply infrastructure.

He said only a few residents are connected to the electricity produced by the solar panel systems.

Geingob said government is busy providing infrastructure development and services to the whole nation and urged the community to stop complaining all the time and instead to work hard.

Geingob told them to start small gardens or community garden projects so that they can ask government to assist them with what they do not have, as opposed to wasting time complaining about lack of development in Tsumkwe – an issue government is well aware off.

On the issue of water, agriculture, water and forestry minister John Mutorwa urged the community to stop waiting for the President to come to their area for them to complain to him. He said his office expects community members around the country to request basic services from him, saying he is prepared to respond to such requests, mostly those that have been put on paper.

Geingob was accompanied by Mutorwa, presidential affairs minister Frans Kapofi; and information, communication and technology minister Tjekero Tweya. The minister in the Presidency in charge of economic planning and director general of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Tom Alweendo; deputy minister of marginalised communities in the office of the vice president Royal /Ui/o/oo, deputy minister of urban and rural development Sylvia Makgone and deputy minister of health and social services Juliet Kavetuna were also part of the delegation.

The Otjozondjupa regional governor, Otto Ipinge, and Tsumkwe constituency councillor Francina Hishekwa-Ghauz were also present at the meeting. Tsumkwe is situated more than 260 kilometres east of Grootfontein in the Otjozondjupa region. –