It’s One Town

ALLOW me space in your esteemed daily.

There has been disturbing talk and often exaggerated comparision of two northern towns, Ongwediva and Oshakati. It is on record that Ongwediva is clean and well-managed and one couldn’t agree more.But comparing the two in terms of cleanliness is pretty much unfair.As far as I am concerned Ongwediva is by and large a residential district rather than a metropolitan town like Oshakati.In fact there are fewer industrial and business activities taking place at Ongwediva than at Oshakati.To give an example, Ongwediva has its own open market where only a few do their business.Again a sizeable number of working people residing in Ongwediva either work in Oshakati, Ondangwa or in the surrounding towns and villages, Ongwediva included, conduct their business and do their shopping.In essence, masses of Ongwediva residents also do contribute to the unhygienic conditions in Oshakati if there is any.Just imagine how much of a burden to the Oshakati town council to provide cleaning services to the masses who do not even pay rates and taxes to Oshakati Municipality.The odds are that some people may seek to score cheap political points by comparing an apple to a lemon.One wonders what Ongwediva would become without Oshakati.In fact Ongwediva is more like one of Oshakati’s suburbs and one would think that these two towns have a unified cleaning system.Instead of competing they must forge mutual co-operation, because to me Ongwediva and Oshakati is just one big town.Paulus Ashipala WindhoekIt is on record that Ongwediva is clean and well-managed and one couldn’t agree more.But comparing the two in terms of cleanliness is pretty much unfair.As far as I am concerned Ongwediva is by and large a residential district rather than a metropolitan town like Oshakati.In fact there are fewer industrial and business activities taking place at Ongwediva than at Oshakati.To give an example, Ongwediva has its own open market where only a few do their business.Again a sizeable number of working people residing in Ongwediva either work in Oshakati, Ondangwa or in the surrounding towns and villages, Ongwediva included, conduct their business and do their shopping.In essence, masses of Ongwediva residents also do contribute to the unhygienic conditions in Oshakati if there is any.Just imagine how much of a burden to the Oshakati town council to provide cleaning services to the masses who do not even pay rates and taxes to Oshakati Municipality.The odds are that some people may seek to score cheap political points by comparing an apple to a lemon.One wonders what Ongwediva would become without Oshakati.In fact Ongwediva is more like one of Oshakati’s suburbs and one would think that these two towns have a unified cleaning system.Instead of competing they must forge mutual co-operation, because to me Ongwediva and Oshakati is just one big town.Paulus Ashipala Windhoek