By:Annakleta Haikera
Urban and Rural Development Minister Erastus Uutoni said rural areas will remain critical in shaping the food system resilience in the country and providing basic raw materials for secondary industry.
Uutoni said revitalising rural areas in Namibia will strengthen the connection between rural and urban economies and contribute to poverty alleviation, while creating opportunities for new jobs.
He was speaking during the five-day Rural Development Annual Progress Review and Planning Workshop at Nkurenkuru in the Kavango West region.
Uutoni noted that Namibians should strive to transform rural economic activities, particularly through supporting rural youth through skills development and creating an enabling environment for their participation in rural development.
“Leveraging the potential of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) graduates will transform the mindsets of young people and encourage them to embark on entrepreneurship and other innovative solutions for supporting livelihoods and generating income,” the Minister said.
Uutoni also called out on Regional Councils and NGOs as implementers of the Rural Sanitation Programme to incorporate theCommunity-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in their strategic plans.
“Let us face it. The government alone cannot provide toilets and hand washing facilities to every household. Therefore, all stakeholders should continue to play a leading role in triggering and rolling out WASH initiatives. In this manner, we can be assured of adequately contributing to eliminating open defecation, which stands at 64.6 % in rural areas.”
Kavango West Governor Sirrka Ausiku, however, challenged Uutoni, stating that the region is highly rural and at 99%, with only one centre, being the Nkurenkuru Town and Katwitwi Settlement.
“Why can’t the region not have two or threetown councils, village councils, and more settlements? Why are all the growth points/big villages in the region not having electricity, including the five recently declared settlements by Kavango West Regional Council such as Rupara, with more than 100 shack dwellers houses that are not electrified, Mpungu, Bunya, Ncamagoro, Katjinakatjii, Tondoro, Nankudu, Ncuncuni, Ncaute, and Kapako?” Ausiku asked.
Ausiku further questioned why the roads in the region are dominated by sandy roads, and there are no feeder roads to connect constituencies.
“Why do our communities still fetch water from the river, although there is a danger of crocodile attacks? Why can the region not have a canal or pipeline along the national roads? How can the region stimulate its local economy to have more economic activities taking place in all our constituencies?” she added.
The region, according to the governor, expects rural areas to have basic infrastructure like water, electricity, roads, communication networks, schools and health facilities.
The workshop is ongoing as Regional Councils are presenting their on-going projects for 2022/2023 financial year, complimentary initiatives, challenges, remedial measures and future plans.