Residents must get food aid: Nehova

CLOSE to 40 households in the Mandume-Mukwanambwa informal settlement, east of Ongwediva, should receive drought relief food as they live in an informal settlement — and ‘not really in the town’.

This was said by Councillor for the Ongwediva constituency, Kandy Nehova, at a recent meeting with the residents. They had complained that they were starving and could not receive food because they were designated as falling within the perimeters of the town of Ongwediva.”Why can you not get food? You have to get food.Go to your headman Mandume Iileka and tell him that you are also entitled to get food because you are in an informal settlement and if there are those among you who fall into the category of vulnerable people, then they can receive food,” said Nehova.The meeting was attended by the Mayor of Ongwediva, Erastus Uutoni; Ongwediva Liaison Officer Andreas Uutoni; and Town Councillor Gabriel Kandjengo.The residents told Nehova that many people in the settlement were unemployed and did not have mahangu fields in any of the eight northern traditional authority areas.After listening to their problems, Nehova promised to speak to the drought relief distribution team in the Okatope area and to headman Mandume Iileka.Earlier, the Governor of the Oshana Region, Klemens Kashuupulwa, told The Namibian that people who lived in informal settlements around towns or in towns were not entitled to drought relief food.They had complained that they were starving and could not receive food because they were designated as falling within the perimeters of the town of Ongwediva. “Why can you not get food? You have to get food. Go to your headman Mandume Iileka and tell him that you are also entitled to get food because you are in an informal settlement and if there are those among you who fall into the category of vulnerable people, then they can receive food,” said Nehova. The meeting was attended by the Mayor of Ongwediva, Erastus Uutoni; Ongwediva Liaison Officer Andreas Uutoni; and Town Councillor Gabriel Kandjengo. The residents told Nehova that many people in the settlement were unemployed and did not have mahangu fields in any of the eight northern traditional authority areas. After listening to their problems, Nehova promised to speak to the drought relief distribution team in the Okatope area and to headman Mandume Iileka. Earlier, the Governor of the Oshana Region, Klemens Kashuupulwa, told The Namibian that people who lived in informal settlements around towns or in towns were not entitled to drought relief food.