PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba says people who do not want to want to avail land for development purposes will be left behind in terms of infrastructural development.
He said this during the inauguration of the Tsumeb-Katwitwi tarred road at Mpungu Vlei situated about 170 kilometres west of Rundu in the Kavango West Region on Friday.
The Head of State noted that some inhabitants of the Kavango West Region are deliberately resisting the creation of infrastructure in the region by opposing the availing of land to the government.
“You are being left behind,” Pohamba said.
He pointed out that Ukwangali Traditional Authority leader, Chief Sitentu Mpasi is trying to avail land for development, but is being prevented from doing so by some of his subjects, citing as an example the Sikondo Irrigation Project.
The residents who had to be relocated to make way for the development of that project at first objected to the development and subsequently accused their chief, Alfons Kaundu of the Mbunza Traditional Authority, of selling off their land.
Pohamba said these residents have since changed their tune as they are now able to buy produce grown at the project.
The Head of State said the same scenario is being played out in the Ukwangali area as people there are also refusing to give up land for development, and warned people there that “stubbornness will hamper progress”.
The Tsumeb-Katwitwi road, constructed at a cost of N$1 billion, links Kavango West and the Oshikoto Region.
The road is expected to improve transport between Namibia and south-east Angola, and is also part of the regional link between Tsumeb and Minonge, the capital of the Cuando Cubango province of Angola. – Nampa
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