Faster land reform, higher food production, and urgent action on unemployment were among the main issues raised by the Governor of the Otjozondjupa Region John ||Khamuseb in his second State of the Region Address on Monday.
The Otjozondjupa governor said access to land remains one of the region's major challenges, with many residents approaching his office in search of farming land.
He called on the government to accelerate land reform and intervene in making agricultural land more affordable, saying current farm prices are beyond the reach of many Namibians.
“Current market conditions are making land ownership inaccessible to ordinary Namibians. It is unacceptable that a farm of approximately 2,500 hectares can cost as much as N$12,5 million. I call upon the government to intervene and introduce measures to regulate and control farm prices; without such interventions, meaningful land reform and access will remain out of reach of the majority of our people.’
||Khamuseb also highlighted food security as a priority, pointing to the successful first harvest at Farm Dubeb, a horticulture project for the marginalised San community.
“Demonstrating that horticulture holds significant potential for our region. We are now expanding to the other areas, including Okamatapati and Okondjatu. Furthermore, I wish to highlight the efforts of the dedicated farmer in Coblenz who successfully developed a vegetable garden.”
In Tsumkwe, he reported progress in water infrastructure development, including borehole drilling and rehabilitation at Otjiaupehuri, Okorute, Ondamapehi, and Opeke-Peke.
The Governor said improving water and sanitation infrastructure remains a priority in the Otjozondjupa Region, with N$4,39 million invested in expanding access to water through new connections, borehole drilling, rehabilitation, and pipeline construction.
With more than 70,000 people unemployed in the region, the governor urged the government and the private sector to work together to create jobs.
He further proposed that at least 60% of employment opportunities in the region should benefit residents.
||Khamuseb also highlighted progress in the health sector, saying the dialysis center at Otjiwarongo State Hospital has been completed, while the long-awaited Okondjatu Health Center is now nearing completion after more than a decade.
“After my intervention that the center must be completed by the end of May, the tenderer agreed to the time frame, and this institution is now 98 percent complete with only the mortuary outstanding.”
On education, he called for greater investment in vocational training and proposed that the Okakarara Vocational Training Centre be allowed to undertake government construction and maintenance projects to reduce costs while creating practical training opportunities.
||Khamuseb further called for value addition to Namibia's mineral resources before export, stricter enforcement against labor exploitation, and continued investment in infrastructure, including plans to upgrade the Grootfontein-Gam Road.
He concluded by calling for stronger collaboration between government, businesses, and communities to improve service delivery, create employment, and drive economic development across the Otjozondjupa Region.