A vote for Uukwangula integration into Oshakati

RESIDENTS of the Uukwangula settlement in the Oshana region on Tuesday reiterated their demand for the settlement to be taken over by the Oshakati local authority.

Uukwangula is situated some 10 kilometres west of Oshakati, and was declared a settlement administered by the regional council in 2003.

Oshana regional councillor Rosalia Shilenga-Mateus, who is in charge of the Okatana constituency under which Uukwangula and some neighbouring villages fall, on Tuesday held a meeting with the residents, where they again stated their willingness to fall under Oshakati.

Only 50 of the residents who were present rejected the idea to merge, while 111 voted in favour of the Oshakati town boundaries being extended to the settlement.

Residents said this would make it easier for them to obtain land, and get financing from banks to develop their land.

Currently, residents lease the plots, and no title deeds are issued to legalise the ownership of their respective dwellings or business plots.

Oshakati chief executive officer Werner Iita, in an interview with Nampa in October last year, welcomed the suggestion by Uukwangula residents for the settlement to form part of his town.

“Although we didn’t get written official correspondence, I think as council there will be no problem with that,” he said.

Speaking during Tuesday’s meeting, members of the Oshana Regional Council and the councillor of the Uuvudhiya constituency Amutenya Ndahafa told those present that the government, through the regional council, had invested millions of dollars in the development of Uukwangula.

“It is not easy for the regional council to surrender Uukwangula to the Oshakati Town Council, considering the millions of dollars spent by the government to bring services to this settlement,” Ndahafa said.

He added that Eheke in the Ondangwa Rural constituency is another settlement in the Oshana region which was also developed with government money after independence.

“These two settlements are some of the projects initiated by our regional council and approved by the government with the intention to bring public services to people, and to create job opportunities for our people in the constituencies,” Ndahafa added.

Shilenga-Mateus said on her part that she would inform the regional council of the residents’ vote.

“I have to present your case before the regional council, and after that, I will revert to you with an answer,” she noted.

The settlement’s population at its declaration in 2003 was estimated to be some 50 households. But it has in the meantime seen the demarcation of some 300 plots for residential and business establishments.

There are also oxidation ponds, a sewerage system, street lights and a road upgraded from gravel to bitumen standard, as well as a modern sports stadium.

– Nampa

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