Kunene Governor Vipuakuje Muharukua has pledged to unlock the region's economic growth potential that will greatly contribute to the Gross Domestic Product.

Muharukua made this assurance during his State of the Region Address at Opuwo.

Muharukua's vision is the one that must be felt at the dinner table through increased regional income per capita and greater disposable income for the residents.

As part of the 8th administration's goals, he pledged to build a region that is economically vibrant and socially progressive for the inhabitants.

He said in a politically polarised region like Kunene, such a vision is often met with pessimism, often misunderstood, taken negatively, and clouded by prejudice and scepticism.

This, he stressed, consistently delayed and slowed down well-intended and noble developmental initiatives aimed at uplifting the region.

"A leader takes people where they want to go. Great leaders take people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to be. I am therefore confident that together as leaders we will lead even the most pessimistic of them all to gain strength, courage, confidence, and willpower as we swim up the current against what may seem insurmountable challenges and seemingly unattainable goals towards our human development agenda."

He said since his appointment by the Head of State in July, he has travelled extensively across Kunene and witnessed firsthand the hardships faced by the people.

Muharukua emphasised that the suffering is not primarily due to a lack of government initiatives but rather to circumstances beyond its control.

"The wealth creation mooted is therefore not mere political posturing and promising; it is a genuine drive borne out of care, love, and a deep sense of duty to push back against these adversities as we take our region to the mountaintop. The noble call is therefore made to us all to unite under this umbrella of development."

He stated that it is essential for everyone to act with a unified purpose in order to create wealth for all, regardless of their political differences, thereby improving the lives of the 120,762 inhabitants of Kunene.

"The inhabitants of this region will do well to demand from us, their leaders, nothing less than unity of purpose for their sake. We are fortunate that we need not start anew with this agenda. The call for prosperity is part of a settled and long-standing agenda by the government to improve all our lives, as exemplified by the implementation of the just-completed NDP-5 program."