2 370 plots being serviced in Oshana

Three local authorities in the Oshana region, namely that of Oshakati, Ongwediva and Ondangwa, are currently servicing 2 370 plots to fast-track urban land delivery. The plots are situated at eight new townships established at the towns.

The plots at Ongwediva are at Efidi Lomulunga Extension 6, with 275 plots, while Onawa Proper has 221, and Onawa Extension 1 has 137. Oshakati has 1 035 plots at Ehenye Extension 11, Onawa and Evululuko, while Ondangwa has 702 erven at Omashaka and Extension 28.

These statistics were released by Oshana governor Elia Irimari during his state of the region address on Friday. “The increasing pace of rural-urban migration continues to escalate the demand for residential and business properties in urban areas in the region,” he said.

He said the three towns have also serviced and allocated 863 plots for housing development during the 2022/23 financial year.

Irimari said the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has allocated N$2,5 million to the Oshana Regional Council for rural development programmes.

“During the year under review, the Oshana Regional Council implemented three programmes of rural sanitation, food and cash for works, and microfinance.”

The Oshana Regional Council is in the process of constructing 130 toilets at a cost of N$2,1 million.

Irimari said this project has employed 92 young people from the Oshana region.

“Seven food and cash for works projects have also been implemented, of which some are still ongoing at a combined cost of N$269 000,” he said.

Irimari said 21 053 people in the region are receiving HIV-AIDS treatment, while 487 tuberculosis cases have been detected and treated in the region.

He said the Ministry of Health and Social Services has managed to appoint 10 medical specialists at Oshakati Intermediate Hospital.

“The Oshana health directorate further accomplished its plans to reduce maternal deaths from 13 to eight during the year under review,” he said. According to Irimari, the government provided financial, material and food items to the community affected by floods and drought in the region.

He said this includes 860 bags of butternuts, and 706 bales of grass from the Office of the President.

The Office of the Vice President provided food items to 460 households, while the Office of the Prime Minister supported 134 households in the region. The Oshana Regional Council provided food support to 750 households at a cost N$100 000.

“The private sector provided financial resources, materials and food items to support the communities in need at a combined cost of N$650 000.

“These stakeholders include the Road Fund Administration, Bank Windhoek, Old Mutual, Sanlam, Namdia, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform,” the governor said.

Irimari said the region needs to work together in implementing a higher education funding framework for institutions of higher learning, and increased funding for technical vocational education, research and technology to benefit from the fourth Industrial Revolution.

He said during the last academic year, the Oshana region has not achieved its desired academic performance in grade 10 and 12 results. He said the attained pass rates of 25,3%, 22,9% and 28,8% for grades 10, 11 and 12, respectively, are very low.

“Therefore, we need to do more this academic year to improve our regional performance. I am urging all stakeholders to embrace this important responsibility collectively,” he said. Irimari said a total of 1 623 students have graduated from various institutions of higher learning in the region.

He said this is commendable, but also slightly lower than the performance for the previous academic year. He said 620 graduates from the University of Namibia’s Hifikepunye Pohamba campus graduated during the year under review, 165 students from the Oshakati campus, and 122 from the José Eduardo dos Santos engineering campus.

Cosdec Ondangwa produced 150 graduates, Valombola vocational training centre 519 graduates, Tulipohamba Training and Assessment Institute produced 47 graduates.