Patience Makwele
Community leaders in Tsumkwe have called for urgent intervention to revive several stalled development projects, including a multi-million-dollar agricultural initiative and a cultural museum that has remained incomplete for more than a decade.
The concerns were raised during a three-day visit by a delegation from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), which is assessing living conditions, development challenges and service delivery in the constituency.
The delegation visited several sites, including Tsumkwe Secondary School, the school hostel, Tsumkwe Clinic and multiple incomplete community projects.
Among the projects highlighted was the Tsumkwe Agricultural Hub and Integrated Food System project. Established to strengthen food security and create employment opportunities for local residents, it remains non-operational two years after its inauguration.
Senior Councillor of the Ju|’hoansi Traditional Authority, Fransina Ghauz, expressed frustration over the lack of progress, despite the traditional authority having allocated land for development initiatives intended to benefit the community.
“As we can see, this project is now standing still and is not moving forward,” Ghauz said.
“As the traditional authority, we are not happy because we wrote letters requesting two boreholes to be drilled. After that was done, there has been no progress on the project.”
She said traditional leaders had invited the OPM delegation to witness firsthand the state of several dormant projects and the impact their delays continue to have on local communities.
“We want these projects to start functioning so that they can help improve the livelihoods of the community,” she added.
The agricultural project was implemented by the World Food Programme in partnership with the Otjozondjupa Regional Council, the Tsumkwe community and the Tsumkwe Village Council on a 45-hectare site.
The project includes three boreholes and a fish pond and was expected to serve as a catalyst for local food production and job creation.
However, Ernestus Karabo, control officer for rural water supply at the Otjozondjupa Regional Council, said the initiative encountered significant setbacks after water quality tests revealed that water from the existing boreholes was unsuitable for irrigation.
Karabo said the project was further affected by funding constraints, with efforts currently underway to secure resources for drilling additional boreholes needed to revive the initiative.
The OPM delegation also visited the Ju|’hoansi Cultural Museum, located approximately 10 kilometers outside Tsumkwe, where concerns were raised over a project that has remained incomplete since 2012.
The museum, which falls under the management of the regional council, was intended to preserve and showcase the culture and heritage of the Ju|’hoansi people while creating tourism and economic opportunities for the local community.
Residents say the prolonged delay has left the project abandoned and unable to deliver the benefits originally envisioned.
The site inspections form part of a broader assessment by the Office of the Prime Minister aimed at identifying obstacles to development and improving service delivery in remote communities.
Special adviser to the prime minister, Asser Ntinda, said a full assessment of the findings would be provided after all inspections in the constituency have been completed.
The visit comes amid growing calls from community leaders for government and development partners to ensure that public projects are completed and made operational so that intended beneficiaries can realize their economic and social benefits.
Residents expect that the visit will move beyond assessment and result in concrete action to revive projects that have remained dormant for years despite significant investment.
