Govt to consider plight of affected

PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba yesterday said Government would make a decision soon on how best to assist the people affected by the floods at Mariental.

The President, accompanied by other senior Government officials, visited the southern town to acquaint himself with the situation. Crop farmers, residents and business owners affected by the flood had called on Pohamba to declare the weekend’s flood a national disaster.Speaking at a briefing at the town yesterday, Pohamba said the Government would consider long- and short-term proposals submitted by the Mariental Town Council and Hardap Regional Council.NO MIRACLES “Yes, I’m happy to come and see for myself the destruction of people’s houses and properties that is even worse than the flood in 1972, according to what people have told me,” he said.”If the President comes he does not do wonders, since he has to report back to a collective team of the central Government, therefore I’m not here to make a conclusive decision.”The briefing was attended by the Ministers of Safety and Security, Defence, Agriculture and Works, who had accompanied Pohamba on his trip, as well as the Hardap Regional Council and Town Council members, the Managing Director of NamWater and other senior Government officials.Declaring a national disaster means asking the international community to help, Pohamba said, and this was not something to be undertaken lightly.He urged the flood victims not to look for scapegoats, since the flood was not human made but caused by the weather.Furthermore, he said Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila had presented Cabinet ministers with a provisional report on the situation at the town and that a final report would be concluded soon.AFTER-EFFECTS Hardap Governor Katrina Hanse yesterday appealed to the President to at least consider the after-effects of the flood in considering whether to declare a national disaster or not.Briefing the President on the damage caused by the floods, Hanse said that 2 000 people in town and 20 irrigation-scheme farmers had been displaced, and that the damage to the irrigation scheme is estimated around N$50 million.The Hardap Scheme contributes 90 per cent of the country’s total wheat harvest.The 78 businesses that were flooded and had to close shop suffered a substantial loss of income, estimated at around N$80 million, Hanse continued.One business owner The Namibian spoke to estimated the damage to his shop alone at around N$1,8 million.All 16 000 Mariental residents were trapped inside the town during the weekend because the flood damaged all roads out of it.Two children, aged 15 and 17, died and two people received hospital treatment for flood-related trauma.The flood caused structural damage to 130 houses in town and 60 at the Hardap Scheme, while the town’s water supply was contaminated and could give rise to water-borne diseases.Schools have been closed for the duration, Hanse said, because of the disruption of the town’s sanitation and water supply.The Namibia Pig Farm, one of Mariental’s biggest industries, lost about 1 000 pigs.FEEDING PROBLEM Speaking to The Namibian after the President’s visit, Namibia Pig Farm CEO Solomon Nemaire said he hasn’t been able to concentrate on the business, as his main concern was fixing the roads leading to the farm.”Feeding is the main problem now,” he said.”The pigs’ feed comes from South Africa, and with the roads as damaged as they are now, there’s no way to get the food here.”He said they were now feeding the pigs only enough to survive on, but that the situation would have to be rectified as soon as possible.”What we’re feeding them now won’t get them growing.That’s a loss of income,” he said.After being briefed, the President visited various affected areas, including Spar, the irrigation scheme and the pig farm, before returning to Windhoek.Although he was scheduled to meet with affected residents of the town, this did not happen.Groups of residents who gathered in front of the municipality building to meet the President were told that he had left.Crop farmers, residents and business owners affected by the flood had called on Pohamba to declare the weekend’s flood a national disaster. Speaking at a briefing at the town yesterday, Pohamba said the Government would consider long- and short-term proposals submitted by the Mariental Town Council and Hardap Regional Council.NO MIRACLES “Yes, I’m happy to come and see for myself the destruction of people’s houses and properties that is even worse than the flood in 1972, according to what people have told me,” he said.”If the President comes he does not do wonders, since he has to report back to a collective team of the central Government, therefore I’m not here to make a conclusive decision.”The briefing was attended by the Ministers of Safety and Security, Defence, Agriculture and Works, who had accompanied Pohamba on his trip, as well as the Hardap Regional Council and Town Council members, the Managing Director of NamWater and other senior Government officials.Declaring a national disaster means asking the international community to help, Pohamba said, and this was not something to be undertaken lightly.He urged the flood victims not to look for scapegoats, since the flood was not human made but caused by the weather.Furthermore, he said Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila had presented Cabinet ministers with a provisional report on the situation at the town and that a final report would be concluded soon.AFTER-EFFECTS Hardap Governor Katrina Hanse yesterday appealed to the President to at least consider the after-effects of the flood in considering whether to declare a national disaster or not.Briefing the President on the damage caused by the floods, Hanse said that 2 000 people in town and 20 irrigation-scheme farmers had been displaced, and that the damage to the irrigation scheme is estimated around N$50 million.The Hardap Scheme contributes 90 per cent of the country’s total wheat harvest.The 78 businesses that were flooded and had to close shop suffered a substantial loss of income, estimated at around N$80 million, Hanse continued.One business owner The Namibian spoke to estimated the damage to his shop alone at around N$1,8 million.All 16 000 Mariental residents were trapped inside the town during the weekend because the flood damaged all roads out of it.Two children, aged 15 and 17, died and two people received hospital treatment for flood-related trauma.The flood caused structural damage to 130 houses in town and 60 at the Hardap Scheme, while the town’s water supply was contaminated and could give rise to water-borne diseases.Schools have been closed for the duration, Hanse said, because of the disruption of the town’s sanitation and water supply.The Namibia Pig Farm, one of Mariental’s biggest industries, lost about 1 000 pigs.FEEDING PROBLEM Speaking to The Namibian after the President’s visit, Namibia Pig Farm CEO Solomon Nemaire said he hasn’t been able to concentrate on the business, as his main concern was fixing the roads leading to the farm.”Feeding is the main problem now,” he said.”The pigs’ feed comes from South Africa, and with the roads as damaged as they are now, there’s no way to get the food here.”He said they were now feeding the pigs only enough to survive on, but that the situation would have to be rectified as soon as possible.”What we’re feeding them now won’t get them growing.That’s a loss of income,” he said.After being briefed, the President visited various affected areas, including Spar, the irrigation scheme and the pig farm, before returning to Windhoek.Although he was scheduled to meet with affected residents of the town, this did not happen.Groups of residents who gathered in front of the municipality building to meet the President were told that he had left.