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Semi-urban households say they need drought aid

Semi-urban households say they need drought aid

CLOSE to 40 households in the Mandume-Mukwanambwa informal settlement to the east of Ongwediva in the Oshana Region say they are going hungry.

Many of them are unemployed and do not have mahangu (millet) fields. One of the residents, Fiina Makakala, told The Namibian last week that they had received drought relief food once – on the instructions of Ongwediva Councillor Kandy Nehova.But later they were told that people living in towns, or settlements around towns, were not entitled to drought relief food.She said that nearly all the adults, both men and women, in the settlement were unemployed and had no income.Makakala said that most of the women had been street vendors until Friday a week ago, when the Ongwediva Town Council had moved street vendors to the Ongwediva open market [Omatala].The market was very far away from the informal settlement, she said.In addition, she said, demand was very weak at the Omatala and there were few customers – leaving the vendors to suffer the consequences.”We are parents with children in school and they must eat.They also need to be dressed for home and school.Parents also have to pay school fees while some of them have orphans to care for and to feed.But we do not have an income.We are struggling on our own, and the Ongwediva Town Council has made things very difficult by chasing us off the streets to sell only at the Omatala,” she said.”We are really in desperate need of food in this area and we are not getting assistance from the Government as others are in the villages.So we are hungry”.Another resident, Hileni Antonius, told The Namibian that they had tried to see their Councillor, Kandy Nehova, on a number of occasions recently but without success.”We still want to see him on these two points: about the drought relief food and about our being chased away from the streets by the Ongwediva Town Council,” Antonius said.Approached for comment, Ongwediva’s Chief Executive Officer, Auguste Taanyanda, said that every town or city had its rules and regulations on where to to allow certain businesses and where not.She said the designated place at Ongwediva for street vendors was the Omatala.People could not just sell anywhere they wanted.Taanyanda conceded that there would be difficulties linked to moving to the Omatala but felt that eventually the vendors would begin to reap benefits.She said the Council planned to enlarge the market and to add more facilities so that vendors would feel at home when selling their products.On the drought relief issue, Governor of the Oshana Region, Klemens Kashuupulwa, said that in terms of Government policy, people who lived in towns or informal settlements were not entitled to food.The Drought Relief Food was only meant for those in villages who produced mahangu and were vulnerable to poor rainfall.Kashuupulwa said, if some people did not have mahangu fields and did not have the money to buy land for themselves, they should approach their Councillor, Kandy Nehova, and discuss the matter with him.Some residents have alleged that “unfairness” has crept into the distribution of drought relief aid.One of the residents, Fiina Makakala, told The Namibian last week that they had received drought relief food once – on the instructions of Ongwediva Councillor Kandy Nehova. But later they were told that people living in towns, or settlements around towns, were not entitled to drought relief food. She said that nearly all the adults, both men and women, in the settlement were unemployed and had no income. Makakala said that most of the women had been street vendors until Friday a week ago, when the Ongwediva Town Council had moved street vendors to the Ongwediva open market [Omatala]. The market was very far away from the informal settlement, she said. In addition, she said, demand was very weak at the Omatala and there were few customers – leaving the vendors to suffer the consequences. “We are parents with children in school and they must eat. They also need to be dressed for home and school. Parents also have to pay school fees while some of them have orphans to care for and to feed. But we do not have an income. We are struggling on our own, and the Ongwediva Town Council has made things very difficult by chasing us off the streets to sell only at the Omatala,” she said. “We are really in desperate need of food in this area and we are not getting assistance from the Government as others are in the villages. So we are hungry”. Another resident, Hileni Antonius, told The Namibian that they had tried to see their Councillor, Kandy Nehova, on a number of occasions recently but without success. “We still want to see him on these two points: about the drought relief food and about our being chased away from the streets by the Ongwediva Town Council,” Antonius said. Approached for comment, Ongwediva’s Chief Executive Officer, Auguste Taanyanda, said that every town or city had its rules and regulations on where to to allow certain businesses and where not. She said the designated place at Ongwediva for street vendors was the Omatala. People could not just sell anywhere they wanted. Taanyanda conceded that there would be difficulties linked to moving to the Omatala but felt that eventually the vendors would begin to reap benefits. She said the Council planned to enlarge the market and to add more facilities so that vendors would feel at home when selling their products. On the drought relief issue, Governor of the Oshana Region, Klemens Kashuupulwa, said that in terms of Government policy, people who lived in towns or informal settlements were not entitled to food. The Drought Relief Food was only meant for those in villages who produced mahangu and were vulnerable to poor rainfall. Kashuupulwa said, if some people did not have mahangu fields and did not have the money to buy land for themselves, they should approach their Councillor, Kandy Nehova, and discuss the matter with him. Some residents have alleged that “unfairness” has crept into the distribution of drought relief aid.

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