Ministry to decide on village status for Okalongo
ILENI NANDJATO
ONGWEDIVA
The urban and rural development ministry has yet to respond to the Omusati regional council’s application to proclaim the Okalongo settlement a village.
Regional governor Erginus Endjala told Namibian Sun the ministry has already completed its assessment.
Last year, former regional council chairperson Modestus Amutse, who is now a member of the National Assembly, announced that Okalongo was set to become a town.
Amutse announced they managed to upgrade the settlement to a town despite limited resources.
“We have been busy and we have high-level engagements scheduled for it to be proclaimed as a town this year,” Amutse said at the time.
Procedures
Endjala however clarified that the council made a submission to the ministry for Okalongo to be proclaimed a village first, as the law does not permit them to omit a step.
“This is how the proclamation procedures are. The regional council is responsible for a settlement and they develop it until it meets certain criteria to become a village, then from a village to a town.
“The regional council submits proposals to the ministry, which then makes an assessment to see whether the settlement is ready in terms of infrastructure and other elements,” Endjala said.
“Last year, the council made the submission to the ministry, which has done the assessment. The ministry has to satisfy itself with all the procedures before they decide to grant [village status] or not.”
All talk, no action
When approached for comment, Okalongo-Based Development Community Body chairperson Vilho Nhoni said there is no indication that Okalongo was upgrading, despite talk for many years.
“For the past 20 years, these talks have been surfacing, but until now there is nothing.
“If you look at places like Tsandi, Okahao and Oshikuku, there is tangible development showing that they are developing into towns, but if you come to Okalongo, there is nothing,” Nhoni said.
“We feel that if they want to fool us to elect them, they always tell us that Okalongo is upgrading, and after elections, nothing will happen.”
ONGWEDIVA
The urban and rural development ministry has yet to respond to the Omusati regional council’s application to proclaim the Okalongo settlement a village.
Regional governor Erginus Endjala told Namibian Sun the ministry has already completed its assessment.
Last year, former regional council chairperson Modestus Amutse, who is now a member of the National Assembly, announced that Okalongo was set to become a town.
Amutse announced they managed to upgrade the settlement to a town despite limited resources.
“We have been busy and we have high-level engagements scheduled for it to be proclaimed as a town this year,” Amutse said at the time.
Procedures
Endjala however clarified that the council made a submission to the ministry for Okalongo to be proclaimed a village first, as the law does not permit them to omit a step.
“This is how the proclamation procedures are. The regional council is responsible for a settlement and they develop it until it meets certain criteria to become a village, then from a village to a town.
“The regional council submits proposals to the ministry, which then makes an assessment to see whether the settlement is ready in terms of infrastructure and other elements,” Endjala said.
“Last year, the council made the submission to the ministry, which has done the assessment. The ministry has to satisfy itself with all the procedures before they decide to grant [village status] or not.”
All talk, no action
When approached for comment, Okalongo-Based Development Community Body chairperson Vilho Nhoni said there is no indication that Okalongo was upgrading, despite talk for many years.
“For the past 20 years, these talks have been surfacing, but until now there is nothing.
“If you look at places like Tsandi, Okahao and Oshikuku, there is tangible development showing that they are developing into towns, but if you come to Okalongo, there is nothing,” Nhoni said.
“We feel that if they want to fool us to elect them, they always tell us that Okalongo is upgrading, and after elections, nothing will happen.”
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