Kavango East SORA a political PR exercise – PDM
Kenya Kambowe
RUNDU
Popular Democratic Movement’s (PDM) Timotheus Ndumba Shihumbu says Kavango East governor Bonifatius Wakudumo’s recent state of the region address (SORA) did not speak to the realities on the ground, but was a mere political public relations (PR) exercise.
The parliamentarian said Wakudumo failed to address residents living in poverty and the high youth unemployment rate.
“I must be frank in my assessment that this SORA was misrepresented and premised on a political PR exercise intended to please the residents of the Kavango East Region and those who have self-interest,” he said.
“The governor in his address has dismally failed to present a clear picture of the situation on the ground in our region, although he made some effort in listing the main capital projects which took place, but failed to touch on the condition of the people.
“The governor has not indicated the total population of the region, and to say out of this total how many people are living in poverty, and how many of those living in poverty are in urgent need of assistance,” Shihumbu said.
Covid a joke
“The regional governor failed to state the grim reality of the high unemployment rate among young people in that he failed to give a proper account of direction as well as how to navigate through this challenging time when 70% of our young people are roaming the streets with no work,” he said.
“The governor does not instil in them hope for a better tomorrow. Due to lack of employment opportunities, a lot of our young and productive citizens are forced to go out of the region in search of job opportunities, and this has contributed a lot to the lack of economic growth in the region.”
Shihumbu added that Wakudumo failed to inform the public on how Covid-19 has infiltrated the region.
“Precious lives continue to perish in the region as a result of the Covid-19 virus; the governor merely brushed it off as if this virus is merely a joke,” Shihumbu said.
“Deep in our rural areas our people still do not have the necessary information about the vaccine and why it is important to get vaccinated. We have seen the surge and unprecedented number of new infections and loss of lives, but the governor did not dwell on that or show any concern for the danger faced by our people during this trying time,” he lamented.
A number of youth from the region shared Shihumbu’s sentiments.
Wakudumo responds
When contacted for comment, Wakudumo said his address was themed around agriculture, and added that while everyone is entitled to their opinion, people should be cognisant that agriculture is the strength of the region and it must strengthened to eventually address the challenges facing the region.
“If you look at the theme of the SORA, it is how we can develop agriculture,” he said.
[email protected]
RUNDU
Popular Democratic Movement’s (PDM) Timotheus Ndumba Shihumbu says Kavango East governor Bonifatius Wakudumo’s recent state of the region address (SORA) did not speak to the realities on the ground, but was a mere political public relations (PR) exercise.
The parliamentarian said Wakudumo failed to address residents living in poverty and the high youth unemployment rate.
“I must be frank in my assessment that this SORA was misrepresented and premised on a political PR exercise intended to please the residents of the Kavango East Region and those who have self-interest,” he said.
“The governor in his address has dismally failed to present a clear picture of the situation on the ground in our region, although he made some effort in listing the main capital projects which took place, but failed to touch on the condition of the people.
“The governor has not indicated the total population of the region, and to say out of this total how many people are living in poverty, and how many of those living in poverty are in urgent need of assistance,” Shihumbu said.
Covid a joke
“The regional governor failed to state the grim reality of the high unemployment rate among young people in that he failed to give a proper account of direction as well as how to navigate through this challenging time when 70% of our young people are roaming the streets with no work,” he said.
“The governor does not instil in them hope for a better tomorrow. Due to lack of employment opportunities, a lot of our young and productive citizens are forced to go out of the region in search of job opportunities, and this has contributed a lot to the lack of economic growth in the region.”
Shihumbu added that Wakudumo failed to inform the public on how Covid-19 has infiltrated the region.
“Precious lives continue to perish in the region as a result of the Covid-19 virus; the governor merely brushed it off as if this virus is merely a joke,” Shihumbu said.
“Deep in our rural areas our people still do not have the necessary information about the vaccine and why it is important to get vaccinated. We have seen the surge and unprecedented number of new infections and loss of lives, but the governor did not dwell on that or show any concern for the danger faced by our people during this trying time,” he lamented.
A number of youth from the region shared Shihumbu’s sentiments.
Wakudumo responds
When contacted for comment, Wakudumo said his address was themed around agriculture, and added that while everyone is entitled to their opinion, people should be cognisant that agriculture is the strength of the region and it must strengthened to eventually address the challenges facing the region.
“If you look at the theme of the SORA, it is how we can develop agriculture,” he said.
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