ONDANGWA COULD GET WORSE Discussing Ruthless Separate Development in Oshana Region BY JOB SHIPULULO AMUPANDA 31 March 2014 In private conversations, residents of Ondangwa and the nearby villages bemoan the lack of state-sanctioned development in context of what call they ‘separate development’ in Oshana region. Indeed, at parties, weddings and festivities alike, they express their disgust with their own - in high positions - who failed to facilitate development for Ondangwa as did their contemporaries from areas of Oshakati and Ongwediva. They restrict this subject to private conversations fearing being labeled ‘tribalists’ by so-called ‘moralists of politics.’ They are called upon to shout, like hypnotized parrots, ‘One Namibia – One Nation’ even where separate development is naked truth. They received the last year delimitation commission with thunderous applause – as their messiah of hope; here is an opportunity for their concern to enter formal power discourse (little did they know). They proposed to either have Ondangwa form part of Oshikoto or have a new region for the entire area facing developmental and spatial challenges. For the second option some pointed out, inter alia, that King Kauluma is the only King whose palace is in one region (Oshikoto) and his office in another (Oshana). As anticipated, their detractors labeled them ‘tribalists’. Similarly, foulmouthed careerists with an exaggerated sense of self-importance joined the bandwagon to profit and quench their media thirst. Following this victimization, residents retreated into private conversation like a flock of soaked chickens. Someone must tell their story once and for all. Closely and objectively observe the content of the discontent. Catering for more than half of the population of Oshana and Oshikoto, Ondangwa is one of the oldest towns in northern Namibia. Despite this fact, there is little state-sanctioned development and services amenities equivalent to spatial and services needs characterizing the area. Asked on condition of anonymity, shrewd residents blame the regional council - a body directing and supervising state-sanctioned development. Study the map of Ondangwa constituency, notwithstanding recent demarcations, for example; the entire town of Ondangwa and its nearby villages was grouped under Ondangwa constituency hence being the most populated constituency in Oshana. In sharp contrast, Oshakati has two constituencies - east and west – thus sending two representatives to the regional council. The sizes of the constituencies of the areas bordering Ondangwa are larger while those of Ongwediva and Oshakati are smaller. This led to proving-right the theory of gerrymandering; the manipulation of borders to achieve a particular political advantage. In this case the representation at the regional council is numerically skewed in favour of areas near Oshakati and Ongwediva. Ondangwa is without a hospital, Oshakati and Ongwediva do. Ongwediva and Oshakati combined have a total of 6 institutions of higher learning; Unam Engineering campus, Unam HP Campus, Unam Northern Campus, Polytechnic center, Valombola VTC and IUM Ongwediva campus. Ondangwa has none. While Oshakati houses the Independence Stadium, another stadium was built in a water-runway at Embadu, just few kilometers from the Independence stadium. Ondangwa has no single stadium. Both Ongwediva and Oshakati have multipurpose youth centers, Ondangwa has zero. It gets worse when separate development is pursued in a manner inflicting serious cost on the state. Government education offices in Ondangwa were abandoned in favour of renting private buildings in Oshakati. The Inland Revenue office in Ondangwa was abandoned to rent private offices in Oshakati costing N$ 50 000 per month, the grapevine so establishes. There are many such cases. Nearby villages are not left behind. There is now a multimillion dollar government storage warehouse being completed at uukwangula village which will neighbor a water-runway built stadium. Those arguing that Oshakati is a regional capital must tell us what MVA, GIPF, ministry of trade and industry, ministry of gender, road authority and other government offices are doing in Ongwediva. While only Oshakati and Ondangwa have car registration number plates - ‘SH’ and ‘ND’ respectively - both Ongwediva and Oshakati have big NATIS offices while NATIS in Ondangwa is condemned to a cubicle comparable to a public toilet. This is the content of the discontent in private conversations discussed earlier. ‘What is to be done’ as once asked Vladimir Lenin? Let’s all answer! I started a conversation on behalf of many hoping for policy shift from separate development to equitable inclusive development. If the status quo continues unabated Ondangwa may fast degenerate from a ghost town to a medieval town. As they read this audacious formulation, belligerent forces against truth are asking themselves how to ‘deal’ with the author. The author remains undeterred in facilitating the threesome; truth, pen and paper. Indeed, truth is like cream in a glass of milk; no matter how much milk you pour in, cream will always resurface on the very top. Job Shipululo Amupanda is a Leftist youth from Omaalala village in northern Namibia. Follow him on Twitter @Shipululo
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 09:33:25 +0000
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