By Simon Liseli
ZAMBEZI Regional Governor appeals for unity in order to address problems and challenges facing the residents, to focus more on development in the region without looking on colour and tribe.
Governor Alfea Lawrence Sampofu made these sentiments in an exclusive interview with the Caprivi Vision on Thursday when he was caught up to respond to the concerns of the residents, and to clarify on the current state of the region.
2019 has been declared as ‘The year of Accountability’ by the current Namibian President Dr.Hage Geingob.
Sampofu appealed to all residents to stand together to fight corruption and diseases that are troubling in the region.
He however described the year 2018 as bad one for Zambezi region because of some issues like peaceful demonstrations, where some of the residents reacted as they were instigated by some of the opposition political parties demanding the town land.
“Nevertheless, we are here and we are determined to make sure that whatever problems with challenges that we will meet we have to focus on development because development of this region is the priority of us residents and Namibia at large”
He pointed out that the Mafwe Traditional Authority through Liselo Sub-khuta came in and fueled the problem of jurisdiction that the town land belongs to communal land.
He added that Katima Mulilo town land was demarcated long time back as far in 1987 and the sketch map diagram showing the boundaries of the town was signed by the surveyor general in 1991 and thereafter Katima Mulilo was proclaimed as a town in 1995.
Governor Sampofu argued that “So there is no way the town to be declared without having town boundaries and on this problem we are still waiting, I have already written the letter to invite the minister of urban and rural development, the attorney general, minister of land reform and in the letter of land reform minister the surveyor general is also invited, so that we have a meeting with the Mafwe traditional authority to have an amicable solution and we are not interested to take anybody to court because we are all residents of this region we should understand each other”.
He advised people whose houses and properties were demolished and damaged not to rebuild and erect shelters, before an amicable solution is found.
He also warned land grabbers to refrain from grabbing the town land without authorisation from the local authority.
“They must stop that… the issue still need a solution is when people can be allocated plots”
Zambezi governor responded on food security that his council has consulted the ministry of agriculture to start with Wenela /Liselo green scheme project farm, which currently de-bushing and fencing are almost at 60% to complete and they are waiting for irrigation system to be set-up to start with the productions this year.
He encouraged farmers in the region to continue ploughing their fields even though there is dry span because weather focus says from this month of February to April; rain will be normal to above- normal rainfall.
“We seriously encourage them not to pull back but to continue so that they have better harvest”
He called and appealed to the education directorate in the region to work hard together with parents to encourage their children to take their studies seriously in order to improve the results of this year (2019) because of poor results the region has been scoring for the past four (4) years.
“We want good results this year, in the same directorate of education we are busy renovating some schools and also to build new schools here in Katima Mulilo, we have this new tent school named after the late war veteran, comrade Tobias Hainyeko it goes up to grade 9 we want it to be build with standard structure”
The governor also divulged that the Katima Mulilo state hospital which is still a district hospital will soon be upgraded to intermediate hospital that carry a high number of medical doctors and nurses with machineries, laboratories and so on, “referrals to Rundu intermediate hospital will stop” he boasted.
Three new clinics at Muyako, Batubaja and Kaenda will soon be revamped-up to health centers near the door steps of the rural dwellers, to avoid human wildlife conflict. “People cannot move at night to go to the hospital because of elephants, buffalos and lions they are lot of predators out there is why we want these health centres to be nearby people and all what I said to you, the only remedy for them is unity” furthers Sampofu.
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