San miss golden opportunity
San people in the Ohangwena Region were not interested in working on a labour-intensive road project because they wanted to be paid daily.
The regional councillor for Omundaungilo Constituency in the Ohangwena Region, Festus Ikanda, says none of the marginalised San people in his constituency benefited from the construction of the Etomba-Omundaungilo road.
Ikanda said the regional council made provision for local San communities to be recruited as casual workers, but they refused because they wanted to be paid daily and not monthly.
“None of the people from the San communities where this road runs through benefited from this project. The first day they came in large numbers and started work and they expected to be paid that day.
“After they were told that they would only be paid at the end of the month, they abandoned the work. These people can only work seriously if they know that they will be paid that day and there must be food to keep them there,” Ikanda said.
Andreas Jona from Onehova village told Namibian Sun that the people who were employed to replace the San earned a lot of money. Since they were compensated depending on the amount of work done, they hired the San to do the work for them.
“These people just hired the San and gave them food to eat, alcohol or a little money to complete the tasks for them. They are very hardworking when there is food or liquor. They ended up completing many tasks,” Jona said.
Both Ikanda and Jona said for the government to address the needs of the San communities, they must consider giving them food to keep them at work and paying them daily.
“These are special people with special needs. They cannot work without food or wait for a salary. We need to consider special programmes for them if we are to address their needs. Regional council offices do not have their own budgets, otherwise we would design special programmes for them,” said Ikanda.
According to the chairperson of the Ohangwena regional council, Erickson Ndawanifa, the total cost of the project was N$143 million, of which 40% of the budget, or N$57.2 million, was allocated to labour.
He added that the work started in March 2015 and despite financial challenges the project is almost completed and the inauguration is planned for 16 October.
The councillor and residents of the area say the 71km gravel road built by Nexus Construction has improved their lives. They say it was very difficult to travel by foot or with four-wheel-drive vehicles to visit their relatives.
In the past, inhabitants north of the Onhuno-Okongo road faced serious transport challenges. The only means of transport was by donkey or by foot to Omundaungilo or to the Onhuno-Okongo road, where they could get lifts to Oshikango, Eenhana or Okongo. There are schools and clinics in the area, but access was difficult given the terrain.
According to Ikanda, elders, expectant women, children and the disabled were transported by donkeys to places where they could get services that were unavailable in their area.
According to the residents, clinics, including the one at Omundaungilo, only operate during the day and if one falls ill at night it becomes a very expensive exercise because they have to seek assistance from people who own cars to get them to Eenhana or Okongo.
“In most cases, those who have vehicles ask for a cow as payment and those who don't have cattle will just die in their houses. I am appealing for the upgrade of Omundaungilo clinic to at least a health centre so that it will be able to assist us after hours,” pleaded George Mikael of Eexwa village.
Ikanda said the new road provides access to schools and clinics in the area. It also connects them to Eenhana and Oshikango.
“For now, I am happy that my people are directly connected to towns and places where they get basic and essential services. Ambulances will also be able to transport patients at any time to clinics that they currently struggle to reach and teachers can also commute from towns to go and teach in the villages without any problem,” said Ikanda.
ILENI NANDJATO
Ikanda said the regional council made provision for local San communities to be recruited as casual workers, but they refused because they wanted to be paid daily and not monthly.
“None of the people from the San communities where this road runs through benefited from this project. The first day they came in large numbers and started work and they expected to be paid that day.
“After they were told that they would only be paid at the end of the month, they abandoned the work. These people can only work seriously if they know that they will be paid that day and there must be food to keep them there,” Ikanda said.
Andreas Jona from Onehova village told Namibian Sun that the people who were employed to replace the San earned a lot of money. Since they were compensated depending on the amount of work done, they hired the San to do the work for them.
“These people just hired the San and gave them food to eat, alcohol or a little money to complete the tasks for them. They are very hardworking when there is food or liquor. They ended up completing many tasks,” Jona said.
Both Ikanda and Jona said for the government to address the needs of the San communities, they must consider giving them food to keep them at work and paying them daily.
“These are special people with special needs. They cannot work without food or wait for a salary. We need to consider special programmes for them if we are to address their needs. Regional council offices do not have their own budgets, otherwise we would design special programmes for them,” said Ikanda.
According to the chairperson of the Ohangwena regional council, Erickson Ndawanifa, the total cost of the project was N$143 million, of which 40% of the budget, or N$57.2 million, was allocated to labour.
He added that the work started in March 2015 and despite financial challenges the project is almost completed and the inauguration is planned for 16 October.
The councillor and residents of the area say the 71km gravel road built by Nexus Construction has improved their lives. They say it was very difficult to travel by foot or with four-wheel-drive vehicles to visit their relatives.
In the past, inhabitants north of the Onhuno-Okongo road faced serious transport challenges. The only means of transport was by donkey or by foot to Omundaungilo or to the Onhuno-Okongo road, where they could get lifts to Oshikango, Eenhana or Okongo. There are schools and clinics in the area, but access was difficult given the terrain.
According to Ikanda, elders, expectant women, children and the disabled were transported by donkeys to places where they could get services that were unavailable in their area.
According to the residents, clinics, including the one at Omundaungilo, only operate during the day and if one falls ill at night it becomes a very expensive exercise because they have to seek assistance from people who own cars to get them to Eenhana or Okongo.
“In most cases, those who have vehicles ask for a cow as payment and those who don't have cattle will just die in their houses. I am appealing for the upgrade of Omundaungilo clinic to at least a health centre so that it will be able to assist us after hours,” pleaded George Mikael of Eexwa village.
Ikanda said the new road provides access to schools and clinics in the area. It also connects them to Eenhana and Oshikango.
“For now, I am happy that my people are directly connected to towns and places where they get basic and essential services. Ambulances will also be able to transport patients at any time to clinics that they currently struggle to reach and teachers can also commute from towns to go and teach in the villages without any problem,” said Ikanda.
ILENI NANDJATO
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