There is a need for a fully-fledged NATIS office at Okongo in the Ohangwena Region to allow people access to services close to them.

This was highlighted by the Okongo Village Council Chief Executive Officer during a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi.

NATIS Okongo opened its doors in 2021 but with limited office space and services.

Currently, the facility only offers eye testing, learner's license, driver's license renewal, vehicle registration, and de-registration of vehicles.

Ohangwena regional leadership has expressed dismay about the slow pace at which government vehicles are repaired at Ondangwa.

They were speaking during Works and Transport Deputy Minister Veikko Nekundi's courtesy visit to the office of Ohangwena Governor Sebastian Ndeitunga.

At the meeting, the issue of government cars taking a long time to be serviced at the Ondangwa government garage was high on the agenda.

Some cars allegedly take up to three years to be serviced, leading to poor service delivery to their constituents.

Works and Transport Deputy Minister Veikko Nekundi visited the Okongo constituency in the Ohangwena Region to assess earth-track roads in that area.

These hard-to-navigate sandy roads are hampering development and making it difficult for communities to access schools and health centres promptly.

Deputy Minister Nekundi was informed by the Councillor of Okongo Constituency, Lebbeus Shipindo, that since independence, his constituency has never been provided with a single feeder road.

The National Democratic Party (NDP) has promised to create job opportunities for young people if elected to power in the November national elections. 

Its president, Martin Lukato, addressed a media briefing at Ondangwa.

Lukato has concluded his house-to-house campaign, carried out in the northern regions.

He hailed the effort as a success, noting its aim of getting voters to consider the better future offered by the NDP.

Over 900 students graduated from the University of Namibia's Ongwediva Campus.

Higher Education, Technology, and Innovation Minister Itah Kandji-Murangi reminded the graduates to be conscious, as they are living in a globally competitive world where success is dependent on knowledge acquisition, application, innovation, and productivity.

Dr. Kandjii Murangi says UNAM has pumped into the market thousands of graduates sufficient to contribute to nation-building and its well-being.

Parents of learners who wrote Grade 11 examinations last year at Savo Nuts Private School at Oshikango in the Ohangwena Region are unhappy about the withholding of their children's results.

Irregularities were detected among 27 learners who sat for the Grade 11 examinations last year at the school; hence, the school withheld the results of the suspected learners.

A team of officials from the Ministry of Education headquarters office was dispatched to the school to investigate the matter.

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila handed over a borehole to the residents of Epembe Constituency's Ohamutwe-Tautende Village in the Ohangwena Region.

The project was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform to the tune of N$2.7 million.

The residents of Ohamutwe-Tautende and surrounding villages have been without clean water since independence and have depended on wells.

The government tried in vain to drill boreholes in the area several times, but the water was saline and the underground water quality was poor for shallow boreholes.

Residents of Oikuku and Ohamukwata villages in the Ohangwena Region now have access to potable water after three decades of waiting.

The project is being carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform and the Office of the Prime Minister at a cost of N$3.6 million.

Ohangwena Governor Sebastian Ndeitunga urged beneficiaries to use water wisely and guard against vandalism.

The borehole can supply water to seven water points, cutting the long distances villagers had to travel in search of water.

The Roads Authority (RA) Chief Executive Officer is not impressed with the slow progress on the Engoyi-Omuntele road upgrade.

The road construction commenced in October last year and was to be completed by September this year.

On a site visit to the project, Conrad Lutombi said the project is behind schedule by two and a half months.

N$20 million was supposed to be spent so far on the project, but to date, the contractor has only used N$5 million.

Staff members of the Elambo Combined School in the Oshikoto Region petitioned the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture to address inconsistencies in the bush allowances.

Demonstrators claim that staff members at some schools get a bush allowance of N$1,750 per month, but at Elambo Combined School, they get N$1,150 per month.

Teachers said they have been knocking at the ministry's door over the matter since 2012 but with no answers.