Kavango: The Tale of a Myriad Heartbreaks the People Suffer

CIPACIKA RENGIFIRST, I WOULD LIKE to pay homage to the heroes and heroines of this beautiful Land of the Brave, Namibia, for the political freedom we have today. It’s been 30 years of transformation for our country in many respects, including political stability.

Despite the positives Namibia has experienced, the Kavango regions tell a different story, a story of a myriad heartbreaks. We were cursed to believe that splitting the region into two was for better service delivery, not the mere creation of regional and town councils. 

We were told that once the region was split, development would be easy to direct and monitor. We were told that access to various services and the provision of basic needs would be easier. What we did not foresee was the painful and miserable situation we now find ourselves in. You have to look no further than the two Kavango regions for an example of poor service delivery.

Since time immemorial, the two regions have dismally failed to address the issues of electricity, water, and roads. These are essential services that play a vital role in economic and social development in any country. The reason the two regions are among Namibia’s poorest regions is primarily because of this as it is a prerequisite for effective poverty eradication.

The issue of electricity remains a major concern. Access to electricity has been very difficult, whether you are from a rural area or based at a town. At Rundu, locations such as Kaisosi, Kehemu, Ndama, and Sauyemwa barely have legal electrical wiring. Many households have illegal connections. These are locations that existed before independence, yet nothing much has changed. Those who have access to electricity face constant power outages, more so in the summer. When will this problem be solved? For villagers, access to electricity is for ‘elite villagers’.

Many fancy the opportunity of being in Kavango or Zambezi because of the river. It’s ironic how a fish can still go thirsty despite the environment. Well, that’s the plight of the Kavango people. We have the resources yet we do not know how to use them. Our two town councils (Nkurenkuru and Rundu) have failed to deliver the most basic of human rights to the people. For the past years, Rundu inhabitants have suffered at the hands of the town council’s ineffective measures to supply water to the people. 

Today, Rundu’s water crisis has been normalised. It’s no longer a crisis. One out of five households at Rundu has a water tank or some kind of water reservoir. Why? Because water outages can go on for a week. Yet when you pay your water bills, it’s as if you have a swimming pool at your house. The people closer to the river pay more than the people in the desert, the tragedy of Kavango people.

What do you do? Elections come and go, we keep voting yet nothing happens. Water provision to rural areas remains a concern despite government efforts. Many in the region still walk long distances to collect water while those close to the river lose their lives to crocodiles. Many still drink water from boreholes.    

It’s ‘funny’ how two regions have no more than 10 tarred roads, including the two towns (Rundu and Nkurenkuru). As if that’s not enough, the once better gravel roads we had, more specifically at Rundu, have degenerated into sandy roads that require a 4×4. The state of roads at Rundu is abysmal. 

Small towns born after Rundu, like Eenhana, have decent roads. The few tarred roads we have in town are not up to standard, with potholes every five metres. Nkurenkuru town has one tarred road. Only one. Why do we have councillors and mayors, governors and CEOs in these positions? Many villagers are struggling to connect with urban areas because of the poor road network in the two regions.

The just-ended regional council and local authority elections are no different from any previous election for the people of Kavango. We hear very little from our governors, mayors, CEOs, town councillors, constituency councillors about how these problems are going to be addressed. 

For this region to move forward, public utilities must be provided for the economic well-being of the entire region and Namibia overall. It’s important that these services are supplied regularly, uniformly, adequately, and consistently. To the governors, mayors, and councillors, old or new, the task is clear: Deliver service to the people as promised during election campaigns and on other platforms. We do not care about your political affiliation. Serve the masses.