Storm brews over empty Neckartal promises
Relocated communities still await compensation
A litany of empty promises from government has left Snyfontein residents feeling duped after the Neckartal Dam allegedly brought more misery than joy to surrounding communities.
In 2013, when the construction of the controversial Neckartal Dam commenced, government detailed how the new facility would bring an end to the country’s water woes and how the lives of those living in the vicinity would significantly improve.
Among the promises was the setting up of a green scheme to address the unemployment and food challenges facing the Snyfontein community. In fact, residents even had to relocate from their homes where they lived for decades to make way for the N$5.5 billion dam.
Some people were moved as far as 200 kilometres away.
But today, almost a decade later, nothing beneficial has come from the investment.
The chief of the /Hai/Khaua Traditional Authority, Cedric Thomas, said the Snyfontein community is worse off after the construction of the dam, despite claims by government that they would be compensated.
Residents were resettled following the construction of the dam over fears that Snyfontein would be flooded once the reservoir was completed.
Thomas said government made lofty promises but is yet to honour its end of the deal, leaving the community impoverished.
“The people directly affected were relocated to resettlement farms, and government disappeared. After the resettlement, we went to the ministry of agriculture three times - even with the local councillors - but nothing was realised.”
Broken promises
According to him, the community had been promised that their lives would improve, but that has not been realised.
“Promises are not being kept. Government said no one would be worse off in terms of the agreement. We were misled by government and the consulting engineers. There were agreements entered into. We looked at the mitigating measures, but not a single mitigating factor has been addressed,” he said.
Thomas added that the community now has to contend with frequent attacks on their livestock by leopards and baboons, leaving them with no animals.
“We are dealing with a human-wildlife conflict. The inhabitants were small livestock farmers but the herds have been depleted. People do not have anything to live on,” he said.
Inhabitants have further been prohibited from fishing in the Neckartal Dam by fisheries ministry officials, he claimed.
“People are being intimidated to stop fishing; people do not have permits to fish.”
‘Speak to my PA’
//Karas governor Aletta Fredericks did not respond to a query sent to her, referring Namibian Sun to her personal assistant (PA).
“I do not know what [the] Snyfontein people want; honestly I do not know. Just send your questions to my PA.”
Attempts to reach agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein also proved futile.
Government spent N$5.5 billion on the construction of the dam. A further N$1.3 million was spent to acquire land meant for its irrigation project.
When full, the dam has a storage volume of 857 million cubic metres of water. It stretches more than 38 kilometres upstream and has a circumference, at full capacity, of more than 290 kilometres.
Among the promises was the setting up of a green scheme to address the unemployment and food challenges facing the Snyfontein community. In fact, residents even had to relocate from their homes where they lived for decades to make way for the N$5.5 billion dam.
Some people were moved as far as 200 kilometres away.
But today, almost a decade later, nothing beneficial has come from the investment.
The chief of the /Hai/Khaua Traditional Authority, Cedric Thomas, said the Snyfontein community is worse off after the construction of the dam, despite claims by government that they would be compensated.
Residents were resettled following the construction of the dam over fears that Snyfontein would be flooded once the reservoir was completed.
Thomas said government made lofty promises but is yet to honour its end of the deal, leaving the community impoverished.
“The people directly affected were relocated to resettlement farms, and government disappeared. After the resettlement, we went to the ministry of agriculture three times - even with the local councillors - but nothing was realised.”
Broken promises
According to him, the community had been promised that their lives would improve, but that has not been realised.
“Promises are not being kept. Government said no one would be worse off in terms of the agreement. We were misled by government and the consulting engineers. There were agreements entered into. We looked at the mitigating measures, but not a single mitigating factor has been addressed,” he said.
Thomas added that the community now has to contend with frequent attacks on their livestock by leopards and baboons, leaving them with no animals.
“We are dealing with a human-wildlife conflict. The inhabitants were small livestock farmers but the herds have been depleted. People do not have anything to live on,” he said.
Inhabitants have further been prohibited from fishing in the Neckartal Dam by fisheries ministry officials, he claimed.
“People are being intimidated to stop fishing; people do not have permits to fish.”
‘Speak to my PA’
//Karas governor Aletta Fredericks did not respond to a query sent to her, referring Namibian Sun to her personal assistant (PA).
“I do not know what [the] Snyfontein people want; honestly I do not know. Just send your questions to my PA.”
Attempts to reach agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein also proved futile.
Government spent N$5.5 billion on the construction of the dam. A further N$1.3 million was spent to acquire land meant for its irrigation project.
When full, the dam has a storage volume of 857 million cubic metres of water. It stretches more than 38 kilometres upstream and has a circumference, at full capacity, of more than 290 kilometres.
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