Caprivi Is The Poorest Region In Namibia

I HAVE watched and tried to pick something in Caprivi that I can be proud of and tell the world that ‘look at this good thing that the Swapo Government has done for us’ but up to now I fail to get it. All I see in Caprivi is poverty. The Katima Mulilo I knew when I was a kid is no more.

We have a right to education. Since the South Africans left, nothing has been done to many schools in the region. They are now as old as prisons. Learners in the region do not have the necessary tools and materials to build up an educated region. Many go to universities and colleges without computer knowledge.The Government allocates money for upgrading roads in the country. Am I the only one who sees that Caprivi’s roads are those of a ghost town, the main street of the town is like the road going to an old farm that is no longer being used. Is that development? The so-called upgrading of the Linyanti gravel road into a tarred road is something else. It’s as if they are just constructing one side of the road, it’s too narrow. That will end up causing fatal accidents.Power cuts are an everyday thing that has become part of our lives. When power is down the water also goes. Is that development? People in rural areas have to move long distances to clinics.Don’t we have rights to health, education and a good living standard?Caprivi is rich in rain and fertile soil. Can’t the Government think of projects that can benefit both the Caprivians and the economy of the country? We can grow fruit and vegetables there, maize… promote livestock farming. Who said they can’t? Did God send a message saying that we can’t grow our own food? Namibia imports food from South Africa, while it could grow its own crops to satisfy local demand and for export. This has resulted in a serious dependence on other countries for food, which has led to difficulties to control prices. Farms must be formed and funded in Caprivi; I do believe that food won’t be a problem for us! We talk of Namibia’s Vision 2030; I look at Vision 2030 as a dead dream. I can only see the development in the northern and central parts of the country, not the northeast and the south. Vision 2030 is aimed at Namibia as a whole, not some parts of Namibia. For as long as just some parts are developed while others are looked down on, Vision 2030 is a dead dream.Muyahi Nicky NalisaVia e-mail