Kavango West fears ‘complete halt’ over funding squeeze

The Kavango West Regional Council says it could be left with just N$2 million to run its operations in the 2026/27 financial year, after personnel costs are expected to swallow N$47.8 million of its N$50 million government subsidy.

“Personnel expenditure alone is projected to take an amount of N$47.8 million, leaving the council with an amount of roughly N$2 million for all other operational expenditures such as utilities, transport, and meeting-related expenditures,” chairperson Fillipus Tenga said during the submission of the council’s regional report for March 2025 to April 2026.

The urban and rural development ministry reduced the council's subsidy ceiling by 9%, resulting in an allocation of about N$50 million for 2026/27, the report states.

Tenga said council requires N$84.8 million to operate effectively, creating a shortfall of almost N$35 million.

“This may result in council's operations coming to a complete halt at some point due to no budget,” Tenga warned.

The council warned that the funding shortfall could bring service delivery to a halt across a region where 140 of its 405 villages have no water, 310 have no electricity, and some residents travel more than 30 kilometres to reach health facilities.

Kavango West is predominantly rural, with 99% of its area classified as rural, and has been identified as one of the country’s poorest regions.

Hospital urgent

The funding concerns come as the region faces major gaps in essential services, with the Nkurenkuru District Hospital among its most pressing needs.

“The construction of the District Hospital in Nkurenkuru town is a priority project for the region as there is currently no intermediate hospital in the region,” Tenga said.

Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba conducted the groundbreaking ceremony on 8 November 2014, but “until now the area was just fenced off and nothing happened since then”.

Emergency cases are referred to Rundu Intermediate Hospital, while residents in some areas travel more than 30 kilometres to health facilities.

Tenga said the region also faces “a critical shortage of medical staff such as doctors, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists”, as well as shortages of transport and medical equipment, including X-ray and ultrasound machines.

The council wants the hospital project revived without further delay.

Essentials under pressure

Education is also under pressure. Nkurenkuru has no government secondary school with hostel facilities despite rapid population growth. Phase one of a new secondary school has been completed, and the council wants phase two, including the hostel, to proceed.

At Nkurenkuru Vocational Training Centre, 170 trainees enrolled in March, with Tenga calling for construction of the remaining hostel and workshops.

The Nkurenkuru Multi-Purpose Youth Resource Centre has also stalled, with the soccer field incomplete. Electricity, moreover, remains a major challenge, with 310 of the region’s 405 villages without access.

“Electricity is not merely a utility; it is a catalyst for development,” Tenga stressed, noting that rural electrification has focused mainly on government facilities rather than communities.

Census figures show 22.2% of residents lack birth certificates and 24.3% do not have identity documents.

Tenga said vulnerable residents are unable to access social grants because they lack the required documents, calling for more outreach programmes.

The region also has poor telecommunications coverage in inland areas. The council has welcomed MTC’s 18 new towers but said more infrastructure is needed.

Tenga underlined that the region’s development needs require greater investment, warning that the current funding constraints could undermine essential service delivery.