Martin Endjala
The Shamavinyo and Kake villages near Divundu in the Kavango East region will receive new boreholes following an outcry by the affected communities.
Residents of Shamavinyo have complained that the water crisis has been going on for quite some time and the solar water pump in the area has not been working for years.
According to one resident, Freddy Marando, the weak pressure frequently forces them to leave their water containers at the pump site in the hope that they will be filled up by the following day.
“This issue has been going on for some time. Maybe the solar panels are weak. We are far from the river, and this is the only place to get water,” he said.
According to Kambogho Dikuwa, who resides near Shamavinyo, community members must walk long distances to fetch water.
“Some old village people are unable to fetch water, and as a result, they go without drinking water sometimes. It is really bad out here. We even have school learners dropping out due to no running water,” he said.
Dikuwa said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the council and government were hands-on in ensuring water availability, but the situation has worsened since the end of the pandemic.
“Why were they so quick to supply water for us during Covid-19? NamWater, at some point, even had a truck tank that used to supply water for us throughout. Why can they not do the same? We know water issues cannot be solved in one day. But my argument is to say. We need urgent assistance right now, even if it’s temporary, while we wait for them to drill boreholes,” he said.
Damian Maghambayi, the Mukwe Constituency councillor, says his office has taken the necessary steps to address the water crisis in the constituency by deploying engineers to assess the situation on the ground.
“My office is aware of the water situation in the areas you have alluded to, and I would like to state on record that my office is addressing this matter. Kake Village had a borehole catered for the community. Still, since we are faced with water availability, it dried out, and we had to put up another borehole 1 km from the old one while we try to find permanent solutions,” he said.
Maghambayi explained that the engineers are currently working on alternative sites to drill new boreholes.
“As we speak, engineers are busy in the Shamavinyo village to establish a site to drill a borehole, and it is only a matter of time now. We have also identified about 87 sites in the constituency to set up boreholes to address the water shortage,” he stated.
He asked the locals to maintain their composure and patience while the engineers tirelessly strive to supply the constituency with enough water.
He added that in some areas, rehabilitation of boreholes is ongoing.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform (MAWLR) has recently invited bidders to tender for the installation of boreholes in many parts of the country, particularly in rural areas where severe water shortages continuously occur.
The required work includes constructing and installing traditional wells, installing mini desalination plants for boreholes with salty water, and drilling and testing pumping boreholes.
Work also includes installing new boreholes and water point infrastructure, rehabilitating water point infrastructure, constructing earth dams, and cleaning boreholes, among other things.
