Food bank confusion fixed
The confusion surrounding the roll-out of the food bank in Ohangwena has been cleared up.
The poverty eradication ministry has moved swiftly to clear up the confusion surrounding the rollout of its food bank programme in the Ohangwena Region.
Last Thursday, Namibian Sun reported it was still unknown how many people would benefit from the Eenhana food bank, as the town council and Ohangwena regional council were claiming they were not properly consulted.
A day later, poverty eradication deputy minister Reverend Aino Kapewangolo arrived in Eenhana to sort out the misunderstanding.
Ministry spokesperson Lot Ndamanomhata said the confusion was among the regional leadership and the ministry is not experiencing the same problem in other regions.
“The food bank will go ahead in Eenhana. The problem is the misunderstandings and misinformation among the regional leadership, who are not sharing information properly with one another,” Ndamanomhata said.
“The confusion is that the regional and town councillors and members who are in charge of coming up with the list of beneficiaries were not understanding each other very well. As the ministry, we do select the street committee that identifies who will benefit from the programme, but it is the responsibility of the constituency and the region.”
Both the town and regional council claimed they were not properly consulted when the programme was introduced, but Ndamanomhata said they were and that the ministry indicated to them what it wanted them to do and how this would be implemented.
Last week Ohangwena regional council chairperson Ericson Ndawanifa told Namibian Sun the town council was responsible for the registration of beneficiaries, as it recruited members of the street committee, while the town council says it is not part of the programme.
Ndawanifa said in July this year the region was approached by poverty eradication minister Zephania Kameeta, who informed them they were rolling out the food bank programme at Eenhana and the region must identify seven people to serve on the street committee.
“The office of the chief regional officer tasked the office of the town council CEO to identify the street committee members. These people were identified and were also trained to be able to register the food bank beneficiaries at the town,” Ndawanifa said.
Town council spokesperson Paulo Shilongo, however, said the food bank programme was entirely the responsibility of the regional council.
“The deputy minister went to Eenhana last Friday to try and solve this misunderstanding and confusion,” Ndamanomhata said.
The programme, which is already up and running in the Khomas, Kavango West, //Karas and Hardap regions and was also recently rolled out in the Kunene Region. Ndamanomhata said in the Hardap Region, the food bank is only operating in Mariental urban constituency.
And they have identified 376 households, consisting of 1 633 people to benefit from the 376 food parcels.
In the //Karas Region they are operating in the Keetmanshoop urban constituency, where they have identified 243 households consisting of 1 053 people and the !Nami#nus constituency, with 162 households consisting of 565 individuals.
In Kavango West, they are operating in Nkurenkuru urban constituency, where they have identified 116 household with 528 people.
Ndamanomhata said in Khomas, where the programme started, they are distributing food to 15 156 households, consisting of 68 499 people.
ILENI NANDJATO
Last Thursday, Namibian Sun reported it was still unknown how many people would benefit from the Eenhana food bank, as the town council and Ohangwena regional council were claiming they were not properly consulted.
A day later, poverty eradication deputy minister Reverend Aino Kapewangolo arrived in Eenhana to sort out the misunderstanding.
Ministry spokesperson Lot Ndamanomhata said the confusion was among the regional leadership and the ministry is not experiencing the same problem in other regions.
“The food bank will go ahead in Eenhana. The problem is the misunderstandings and misinformation among the regional leadership, who are not sharing information properly with one another,” Ndamanomhata said.
“The confusion is that the regional and town councillors and members who are in charge of coming up with the list of beneficiaries were not understanding each other very well. As the ministry, we do select the street committee that identifies who will benefit from the programme, but it is the responsibility of the constituency and the region.”
Both the town and regional council claimed they were not properly consulted when the programme was introduced, but Ndamanomhata said they were and that the ministry indicated to them what it wanted them to do and how this would be implemented.
Last week Ohangwena regional council chairperson Ericson Ndawanifa told Namibian Sun the town council was responsible for the registration of beneficiaries, as it recruited members of the street committee, while the town council says it is not part of the programme.
Ndawanifa said in July this year the region was approached by poverty eradication minister Zephania Kameeta, who informed them they were rolling out the food bank programme at Eenhana and the region must identify seven people to serve on the street committee.
“The office of the chief regional officer tasked the office of the town council CEO to identify the street committee members. These people were identified and were also trained to be able to register the food bank beneficiaries at the town,” Ndawanifa said.
Town council spokesperson Paulo Shilongo, however, said the food bank programme was entirely the responsibility of the regional council.
“The deputy minister went to Eenhana last Friday to try and solve this misunderstanding and confusion,” Ndamanomhata said.
The programme, which is already up and running in the Khomas, Kavango West, //Karas and Hardap regions and was also recently rolled out in the Kunene Region. Ndamanomhata said in the Hardap Region, the food bank is only operating in Mariental urban constituency.
And they have identified 376 households, consisting of 1 633 people to benefit from the 376 food parcels.
In the //Karas Region they are operating in the Keetmanshoop urban constituency, where they have identified 243 households consisting of 1 053 people and the !Nami#nus constituency, with 162 households consisting of 565 individuals.
In Kavango West, they are operating in Nkurenkuru urban constituency, where they have identified 116 household with 528 people.
Ndamanomhata said in Khomas, where the programme started, they are distributing food to 15 156 households, consisting of 68 499 people.
ILENI NANDJATO
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