By Simon Liseli
THE re-appointed governor of Zambezi Region Lawrence Alfea Sampofu has commended the Namibian president Dr. Hage Geingob for re-appointing him for the next five years.
Sampofu made these sentiments in an exclusive interview with The Caprivi Vision. He said his re-appointment should not be seen as a matter of playing around because the president has trust and confident in him.
Governor Sampofu also thanked residents of the region for working together with his office for the past ten years.
He added that his re-appointment comes to Zambezi residents in terms of service delivery. He urged residents to come up with ideas that will build up the region not to wait for him or Councillors.
“Doors for my offices are open to everybody with an idea is welcome to bring his or her idea and then will see how to go with such an idea” he said.
Asked how he feels to be re-appointed as Zambezi regional governor again, he has this to say “I feel good, great and honoured because I believe that the president and people of this region have confident and trust on me to lead this region and I have seen and received more comments, congratulatory messages urging me to work hard for the betterment of this region by many people”
His targets on development for the next five years will focus more in agriculture and green scheme as previously when people are hit by drought and the deadly pandemic coronavirus which require food.
He stated that Zambezi has fertile land and plenty of water, only investors and government need to come in to develop the region in terms of agriculture and become one of the food baskets of the country to feed the people and maintain food security.
“Namibia as a country should not rely or depend on other countries to feed us, we have land and water, its only the matter of coming and put funds together to start with green schemes to feed ourselves”
Sampofu pointed out that Katima farm project will start very soon as de-bushing of the project has finished and fencing is to follow.
He lamented the fact that the project is facing problems with fencing that some of the Zambian citizens who cross the border illegally are cutting the fence with unknown objects to pass through instead of using gazetted entry points like Wenela border post.
“They just use illegal entry into Namibia any way they like otherwise we are really looking forward to start with that farm this year”.
Zambezi governor shade some lights on Kalimbezi rice project when he was posed a question by this paper on what is going on with the project, saying 196 hectares of land for the project was donated by the community but up-to-date only 96 hectares of the land is in use because its not well funded and last year 2019, nothing was produced due to lack of funds and the machineries without repairs.
The government only pumped N$ 7 million earlier this year for maintaining and repairing of all tools to start with productions.
“All what we need is continuous and consistence funding for the project to keep on with productions” he noted.
Education as a key to success in everything is also one of the targeted area by re-appointed Zambezi governor where he plans to improve learning environment by renovating and building more classrooms in other secondary schools.
He said, they are current ongoing school renovations around the region that are expected to be completed this year and more classrooms for learners learning under the trees and tents will still have to be build for them to have good learning environment.
Governor Sampofu also mentioned that most of the gravel roads will be also upgraded to tarred roads and these will include Bukalo-Ibbu-Muyako road up to Isuswa/ Maritzburg gravel road in the eastern Zambezi.
Sibbinda to Linyanti and Mulanga road, south west of the region will be also upgraded.
Lubuta-Sachona to Lizauli road also fall into the same category to be upgraded into tarred road while Namalubi-Isize to Luhonono is under way and helped residents of the region living in the flood prone areas of the eastern Zambezi to pass through three big bridges that were built from Malindi to Luhonono.
Izimwe-Nakabolelwa to Kasika road is also one of the roads that need to be embarked upon for the people residing in the flood prone areas to carter for their goods and themselves to travel smoothly to their destinations.
Sampofu is a retired Colonel in the Namibian Defence Force, former plan combatant during the liberation struggle of Namibia, he was first appointed as the governor of the former Capriv Region in 2010 by the former Namibian president Hifikepunye Pohamba.
In 2015 he was appointed as Zambezi governor by President Dr.Hage Geingob. He was lastly reappointed as the governor of Zambezi region by President Geingob in April this year up to 2025. So far, he has served two terms 10 years as a regional governor.
Loading …