Africa-Press – Namibia. ETAYI constituency councillor Hans Haikali has pleaded with residents of Etayi to donate mahangu to his office to feed approximately 5 000 people in his constituency.
ETAYI constituency councillor Hans Haikali has pleaded with residents of Etayi to donate mahangu to his office to feed approximately 5 000 people in his constituency.
Haikali on Sunday said thousands of people are in dire need of food.
He said the constituency is one of seven in the region which has not received drought-relief food for the past two years.
“We have a drought in Etayi constituency and in the whole of the Omusati region. We have about six constituencies which have not been given drought-relief food. They are Etayi, Oshikuku, Elim, Okalongo, Anamulenge and Ogongo.
“The reason is that apparently we have received enough rainfall,” he said.
Only the western constituencies such as Ruacana, Onesi, Tsandi and Okahao have reportedly been receiving drought-relief food.
Haikali said he has requested constituency members with harverst surpluses to drop these off at his office.
The food will be given to the hungry people in his constituency, he said.
He made a request at Oshalembe Junior Primary School, and another on Kati FM recently, Haikali said.
“We have hungry people. I asked those who have mahangu to donate it at the office so we give it to those who are hungry.”
He also pleaded with Maresto Fishing, which is chaired by former permanent secretary Erastus Negonga, to donate fish or flour to his office.
Maresto Fishing last week donated school uniforms worth N$12 000 to all 118 pupils at Oshalembe Junior Primary School.
Haikali said regional councillors whose constituencies have not received drought-relief food are blamed by the residents of their constituencies.
“We are told other councillors are announcing drought-relief food. We announce community meetings. What are you going to tell people in those meetings?”
Elim constituency is reportedly one of the constituencies which has not received drought-relief food.
Councillor Gerhardt Shiimi referred The Namibian to Omusati governor Erginus Endjala when contacted, as well as to the chairperson of the Omusati Regional Council, Andreas Shintama.
Shintama has for the past two days not answered several calls to his cellphone.
Endjala, however, said community members in dire need of food should register at their constituency offices.
After registering, their names will be submitted to the regional council to be forwarded to the Office of the Prime Minister’s disaster risk-management section.
“The Office of the Prime Minister will act on the recommendations of the regional council. The problem is that some councillors lack proactiveness in dealing with these issues. It does not mean people should sit at home,” Endjala said.
Contacted for comment on Sunday, the executive director of the Office of the Prime Minister, I-Ben Nashandi, said the government has had a drought-relief programme since 2019, which covers parts of the Omusati region.
“This programme is ongoing and is informed by the annual assessments conducted. The drought-relief programme is complemented by other social programmes, such as the San feeding programme, social grants, food for work, donor-assisted programmes and community-assisted programmes.
“Questions about specific constituencies may be forwarded to the regional council concerned,” Nashandi said.
Haikali on Sunday said thousands of people are in dire need of food.
He said the constituency is one of seven in the region which has not received drought-relief food for the past two years.
“We have a drought in Etayi constituency and in the whole of the Omusati region. We have about six constituencies which have not been given drought-relief food. They are Etayi, Oshikuku, Elim, Okalongo, Anamulenge and Ogongo.
“The reason is that apparently we have received enough rainfall,” he said.
Only the western constituencies such as Ruacana, Onesi, Tsandi and Okahao have reportedly been receiving drought-relief food.
Haikali said he has requested constituency members with harverst surpluses to drop these off at his office.
The food will be given to the hungry people in his constituency, he said.
He made a request at Oshalembe Junior Primary School, and another on Kati FM recently, Haikali said.
“We have hungry people. I asked those who have mahangu to donate it at the office so we give it to those who are hungry.”
He also pleaded with Maresto Fishing, which is chaired by former permanent secretary Erastus Negonga, to donate fish or flour to his office.
Maresto Fishing last week donated school uniforms worth N$12 000 to all 118 pupils at Oshalembe Junior Primary School.
Haikali said regional councillors whose constituencies have not received drought-relief food are blamed by the residents of their constituencies.
“We are told other councillors are announcing drought-relief food. We announce community meetings. What are you going to tell people in those meetings?”
Elim constituency is reportedly one of the constituencies which has not received drought-relief food.
Councillor Gerhardt Shiimi referred The Namibian to Omusati governor Erginus Endjala when contacted, as well as to the chairperson of the Omusati Regional Council, Andreas Shintama.
Shintama has for the past two days not answered several calls to his cellphone.
Endjala, however, said community members in dire need of food should register at their constituency offices.
After registering, their names will be submitted to the regional council to be forwarded to the Office of the Prime Minister’s disaster risk-management section.
“The Office of the Prime Minister will act on the recommendations of the regional council. The problem is that some councillors lack proactiveness in dealing with these issues. It does not mean people should sit at home,” Endjala said.
Contacted for comment on Sunday, the executive director of the Office of the Prime Minister, I-Ben Nashandi, said the government has had a drought-relief programme since 2019, which covers parts of the Omusati region.
“This programme is ongoing and is informed by the annual assessments conducted. The drought-relief programme is complemented by other social programmes, such as the San feeding programme, social grants, food for work, donor-assisted programmes and community-assisted programmes.
“Questions about specific constituencies may be forwarded to the regional council concerned,” Nashandi said.
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