Africa-Press – Namibia. Lissony Njembo
OTJIWARONGO – Otjiwarongo constituency councillor Paulus Nekundi says youth empowerment remains a key priority of his office, with several initiatives already underway to support young people and improve service delivery across the constituency.
Nekundi, who has been a resident of Otjiwarongo for over two decades, said his passion for politics started at an early age.
“I grew up in politics. My father was in exile, and I also had a mentor who was a former Member of Parliament. At the age of 19, I joined the youth league (Swapo). I also worked with the ELCIN Elders Council and served as its chairperson,” he said.
He noted that although he did not initially plan to work closely with communities, leadership became a calling over time.
“I love working with the community and had leadership skills from a young age,” he added.
As part of youth-focused initiatives, Nekundi last year hosted a constituency councillor’s youth football tournament involving more than 30 teams, with a total prize value of N$30 000. He said the tournament will now become an annual event organised by his office.
“I plan to engage the youth in all aspects so that they can stay away from social ills. I have also invested in youth boxing programmes to help keep young people away from criminal activities,” he said.
His office is further assisting young people to apply for youth funding opportunities and encouraging them to enrol at vocational training centres in support of Namibia’s national development goals. “Countries are not built by administrators alone. Vocational training plays a critical role in job creation,” he said.
Development and service delivery
The Otjiwarongo constituency includes the town of Otjiwarongo and surrounding farming areas, as well as Kalkfeld, which was recently demoted to settlement status.
The constituency has a population of about 55 000 people, with more than 22 000 living in informal settlements.
Nekundi said one of his priorities is to upgrade settlement areas to village council status in the Otjozondjupa region.
“During my tenure, I would like to see settlement areas upgraded into village councils. I will also work towards restoring Kalkfeld to a village council status,” he said.
To improve access to healthcare services, the constituency office recently donated a delivery bed to a local clinic in Kalkfeld. The office is also supporting the construction of a police station in the Ombili informal settlement, which is now in its final stages. Plans are also underway to build a clinic in the area.
“In collaboration with the local authority and the municipality, these goals will be realised,” he said.
Nekundi acknowledged challenges in reaching some remote areas of the constituency.
“It is always difficult to distribute drought-relief food to remote areas, but we are working with volunteers to ensure communities receive support,” he said.
He also encouraged households to establish backyard gardens to improve food security.
“Every household should have a backyard garden. If you give a person fish, you feed them for a day, but if you teach them how to fish, you feed them for a lifetime,” he said.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
