90% of Outjo residents living below poverty line

OUTJO mayor Samuel !Oe-amseb says his municipality wants to solicit resources for the needy.

“Over 90% of our residents have been living below the poverty line continuously over a long period,” !Oe-amseb said after the swearing-in of Outjo Town Council office-bearers this week.

According to !Oe-amseb, urgent action is necessary to devise an immediate intervention to address poverty and hunger at the town.

“On the basis of past experience and difficulties encountered in implementation of projects, appropriate steps should be taken to find suitable alternatives for reducing poverty and inequality in our society, ” !Oe-amseb said.

!Oe-amseb said that the Outjo municipality wanted to solicit resources for the benefit of the needy in the community, with special focus on senior citizens, vulnerable children and those on chronic medication and requiring a meal.

!Oe-amseb further said one of the prime responsibilities of Outjo’s municipality was to ensure local economic growth that guaranteed sustainable job creation and development in the town, particularly for young people.

The construction of water and sewerage infrastructure in the informal settlement area at Outjo is under way, while the provision of 244 serviced erven in Outjo Extension 5 through a public-private partnership is in progress and a first investment conference to promote Outjo as an investment town of choice has taken place, !Oe-amseb said.

He called on residents of the town to work together for a better Outjo irrespective of their religion or political affiliation.

!Oe-amseb is deputised by Karolina Ndjimba (Swapo), the vice chairperson of the management committee is Louisa Kaizemi (Swapo) and the UDF’s Sieglinde Kanani Amamus is also a management committee member.

The UDF’s Morkel Heroldt Khairabeb and Swapo’s Mwahafa Friedrich Shinime are ordinary members of the town council.

The Popular Democratic Movement’s Pieter Mostert was sworn in as management committee chairperson, but will have to be replaced as he will be going to the National Assembly, having been on the PDM’s parliamentary list.

Outjo is regarded as one of the best-run towns in the Kunene region, with infighting among political office-holders a rarity at the town.

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