Govt wants to make Zambezi Namibia’s breadbasket – Ngurare
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare says government seeks to transform the Zambezi Region into Namibia’s food hub, saying government will address critical challenges that have hindered agricultural productivity, including water access, markets and farming tools.
Speaking at the Lusata Cultural Festival at Chinchimane on Sunday, Ngurare said Zambezi has the capacity to become the nation’s breadbasket if supported with the right investments. He assured Litunga George Simasiku Mamili VII of the Mafwe tribe and other traditional leaders that their concerns about boreholes, markets and farming equipment will not go unheard.
“We must create the market. We must make Zambezi a bread basket,” he said. “Every village must have a borehole for drinking water, for food production and for livestock. This is a matter of human right.”
Ngurare added that government would also continue to install mini desalination plants in areas where water is brackish, citing projects already completed at Ngo, Makanga and Muyako villages. Public institutions such as schools and clinics, he said, would also benefit from reliable water supply.
The prime minister tied these commitments to the broader economic transformation agenda under the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), which places resource beneficiation and youth empowerment at its core. He stressed that Namibia must stop exporting raw materials without value addition.
“Why should our gold, lithium, copper, oil, uranium and other resources be exported raw when investors can set up factories and process them here?” Ngurare asked. He pointed to plans for a mango processing plant in Katima Mulilo, developed in partnership with the University of Namibia, as a model of regional industrialisation.
On youth development, Ngurare reminded the crowd that young people made up over 70% of voters in the 2024 elections, making it government’s duty to turn their votes into hope. He announced that the long-awaited National Youth Fund, which was launched yesterday in Gobabis, as promised in the ruling party’s 2025–2030 manifesto.
Beyond economic pledges, Ngurare praised the Mafwe community for fostering unity through the Lusata Festival, describing it as a cultural beacon for the nation. “When your subjects see you united and holding hands in public, they will have no reason to hate and fight one another,” he said.
He also invoked the sacrifices of late Litunga Simasiku Mamili IV and the Caprivi African National Union (CANU), which joined forces with Swapo in the fight for independence. “I call on the youth of Mushobo wa Mafwe to never betray these sacrifices,” he said.
Closing his address, the prime minister stressed that cultural preservation and economic development must go hand in hand. “Unity is the key to peace, wealth creation and prosperity,” he declared.
Speaking at the Lusata Cultural Festival at Chinchimane on Sunday, Ngurare said Zambezi has the capacity to become the nation’s breadbasket if supported with the right investments. He assured Litunga George Simasiku Mamili VII of the Mafwe tribe and other traditional leaders that their concerns about boreholes, markets and farming equipment will not go unheard.
“We must create the market. We must make Zambezi a bread basket,” he said. “Every village must have a borehole for drinking water, for food production and for livestock. This is a matter of human right.”
Ngurare added that government would also continue to install mini desalination plants in areas where water is brackish, citing projects already completed at Ngo, Makanga and Muyako villages. Public institutions such as schools and clinics, he said, would also benefit from reliable water supply.
The prime minister tied these commitments to the broader economic transformation agenda under the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), which places resource beneficiation and youth empowerment at its core. He stressed that Namibia must stop exporting raw materials without value addition.
“Why should our gold, lithium, copper, oil, uranium and other resources be exported raw when investors can set up factories and process them here?” Ngurare asked. He pointed to plans for a mango processing plant in Katima Mulilo, developed in partnership with the University of Namibia, as a model of regional industrialisation.
On youth development, Ngurare reminded the crowd that young people made up over 70% of voters in the 2024 elections, making it government’s duty to turn their votes into hope. He announced that the long-awaited National Youth Fund, which was launched yesterday in Gobabis, as promised in the ruling party’s 2025–2030 manifesto.
Beyond economic pledges, Ngurare praised the Mafwe community for fostering unity through the Lusata Festival, describing it as a cultural beacon for the nation. “When your subjects see you united and holding hands in public, they will have no reason to hate and fight one another,” he said.
He also invoked the sacrifices of late Litunga Simasiku Mamili IV and the Caprivi African National Union (CANU), which joined forces with Swapo in the fight for independence. “I call on the youth of Mushobo wa Mafwe to never betray these sacrifices,” he said.
Closing his address, the prime minister stressed that cultural preservation and economic development must go hand in hand. “Unity is the key to peace, wealth creation and prosperity,” he declared.
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