Africa-Press – Namibia. Vice President Lucia Witbooi recently visited indigenous and previously marginalised communities in Omaheke to familiarise herself with the state of ongoing projects, success stories and daily challenges.
At the heart of her tour was housing provision for the San.
The visit was intended to directly attain first-hand information that will inform her of the living conditions as well as challenges encountered by the said communities. Another objective for the visit was to strengthen the government’s interventions and support to ensure that government policies and programmes are responsive, effective and inclusive.
“The success of NDP6 depends on dedicated regional and local leadership, and thus I call on the regional leadership to prioritise economic growth, transformation, rural development, community resilience, sustainability and effective public service delivery to ensure regional progression,” Witbooi said.
During the visit, Witbooi also attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the N/a’an ku sê Eco Village and Epukiro upliftment project in Epukiro Post 3, which she termed a symbolic and practical affirmation that development must be people-centred, community-driven and culturally respectful.
The project aims to construct 40 housing units.
This, Witbooi said, exemplifies an inclusive development model that integrates social welfare, economic empowerment, education, food security and cultural preservation.
She also visited community gardens, describing them as critical and important sectors in enhancing access to nutritious food, improving household resiliencies and promoting self-sufficiency even in the face of climate variability.
At the end of her visit, the VP said there is progress, although little, and cited projects such as the coffin-making project initiated by former deputy prime minister Libertine Appolus.
According to Witbooi, this project should be flourishing but is made impossible by various challenges. On his part, Omaheke governor Pijoo Nganate reported that the region has and continues to implement several initiatives that seek to inclusively improve food accessibility, restore dignity and alleviate hunger among the indigenous minorities.
Nganate revealed that close to 5 200 households are on the government feeding scheme, with the majority being in Gobabis, where he said urban poverty is a reality. He also pointed out that the region has a transportation plan for the learners to and from schools during holidays and public days.
Another programme referenced by the governor is the burial programme, which he said is aimed at maintaining dignity among the marginalised people.
The Vice President then called on community members to take ownership of the initiatives, for development partners to continue supporting inclusive models and for stakeholders to ensure that transparency, accountability and sustainability remain central to implementation.
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