Africa-Press – Namibia. ELIZABETH MWENGO
RECONNAISSANCE Energy Namibia (ReconNamibia) yesterday officially handed over 11 boreholes to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform at Ngone village in the Kavango East region.
This brings to 22 the number of community water wells drilled and handed over in the Kavango regions – 11 in Kavango East and 11 in Kavango West.
Inhabitants of these two regions would not have to walk long distances to fetch water any more.
ReconNamibia is a local branch of ReconAfrica, a Canadian oil and gas company engaged in the exploration of oil and gas in Namibia and Botswana. The company has been in Namibia for almost two years.
“It did not take us long to realise there was a profound challenge for people in the rural areas struggling to access water daily, and many lives have been lost to crocodiles while fetching water,” Craig Steinke, executive chairman of ReconAfrica, said.
He said this comes as part of ReconNamibia’s corporate social responsibility, and will bring change and success to the regions’ communities.
During the handover ceremony, the deputy minister of agriculture, water and land reform, Anna Shiweda, said the Namibian economy has been experiencing economic headwinds of which the negative effects on government revenue were exacerbated by the impact of Covid-19.
This has reduced the resources at the disposal of the government for the implementation of economic development programmes, including those for water infrastructure, such as the drilling, installation and rehabilitation of boreholes, she said.
“The resources allocated by ReconNamibia came at an opportune time to augment the limited available government resources. As a government and community we should grab this donation from ReconNamibia with both hands, and in showing our appreciation we should take good care of these boreholes,” she said.
“Our people have been competing with crocodiles for water for many years. Year in and year out lives are lost, and when ReconNamibia stepped in to give a helping hand, we were grateful for the gesture.
“We cannot go wrong by providing water to the people. This is not for human consumption, but for our animals and agriculture activities. What more can we ask for but to thank the good Samaritans,” Paules Mabangu, Rundu Rural constituency councillor said.
ReconNamibia promised to add 10 more boreholes – five for each of the two regions.
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