Africa-Press – Namibia.
Kunene’s newly appointed regional governor Vipuakuje Muharukua has laid out an ambitious plan to transform the region into the wealthiest one in Namibia.
His focus is on job creation, agriculture, mining and infrastructure development.
In an exclusive interview with New Era, he said Kunene’s untapped potential makes it a “region of possibilities”.
“I used to be in the politics of talking. Now, we’re in the business of doing. We’re not here to joke. I am determined to ensure the Swapo manifesto is implemented,” he said.
High on Muharukua’s agenda is reducing youth unemployment.
He criticised companies operating in Kunene for failing to hire locals despite high joblessness.
He praised companies like the Roads Contractor Company, the Zongmei Group (working on the Khorixas–Kamanjab Road) and Otesa (building a section of the Pupa Road) for hiring local workers.
To support these efforts, Muharukua said the governor’s office is working with the labour ministry to create a database of unemployed youth in the region.
He additionally took aim at the Opuwo Town Council for awarding a dam project to a company that did not hire any local workers.
“That’s unacceptable. We have more than 1 000 unemployed youth in Khorixas and Outjo each, 750 in Opuwo and 470 in Kamanjab,” he said.
“We’re not just asking for any jobs but we want quality jobs that build careers” he stressed.
Boosting local businesses
Muharukua highlighted the shortage of youth-owned companies in Kunene as a major barrier to local participation in the economy.
He revealed that in towns like Khorixas, only 25 companies were registered, while Kamanjab had fewer than 10.
He said this is unacceptable for communities with thousands of residents.
“Politicians like to shout about local empowerment, but if you see a problem in your community, it becomes your job to fix it. As a lawyer, I’m going to help our young people form companies. Once they exist, we can insist on skills transfer from experienced contractors. That’s how we build future capacity,” he maintained.
Muharukua envisions agricultural transformation as a cornerstone of his development plan and wants to turn fertile areas like Fransfontein into large-scale farming hubs.
“Kunene has fertile land – maybe even better than //Kharas. We must fully use it. Agriculture can create mass employment and uplift communities like Kamanjab, Khorixas and Fransfontein,” he said.
He noted that many young people leave Kunene each year to find farm work elsewhere.
His goal is to reverse that trend by creating jobs locally.
Asked how his office is mitigating drought, Muharukua stressed the urgency of building catchment dams to support drought resilience, citing the catastrophic loss of livestock during recent dry years.
“Before 2019, Kunene North had 580 000 cattle. Today, we’re down to just 70 000. That’s a 90% loss of our wealth that disappeared. The Baines Dam, supported by pipelines or canals, and the earth dam, will be vital in preventing future losses,” he said.
Cape Fria
Muharukua positioned Cape Fria as a game-changing development for northern Namibia, calling for the finalisation of the construction of a harbour and rail connection.
“If you want to develop north of the red line, you must develop Cape Fria. It is the single most important development that can unlock northern Namibia’s economic potential,” he said.
He argued that Kunene’s vast mineral wealth, particularly its copper and iron ore, deposits remain underexploited due to a lack of infrastructure.
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