Reagan Malumo
10 April 2008
Katima Mulilo — Government is formulating logistics to permanently relocate to higher ground thousands of people who are displaced by floods in the Caprivi every year.
The planned long-term solution could also save millions of dollars of government and donor money, which is spent on relocating and feeding people who are displaced by floods.
During her visits to traditional leaders in the region, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Libertina Amathila appealed to all traditional leaders to assist and support government initiatives in facilitating and speeding up the relocation exercise.
"We need to relocate these people permanently to higher ground. The Government cannot continue to spend a lot of money every year because this money should be used to help build permanent structures where these people can permanently live in," said Amathila.
She stated that the process of continuously moving people from one place to the other does not only have financial implications but is a burden to the State.
She said the relocation of flood victims disrupts learning in affected areas.
Government will need to identify better places within the region where to construct hostels for school children as well as living structures for communities.
She was happy to announce to all traditional authorities that she has so far handed over nine engine boats to the Caprivi Regional Council to assist in flood alleviation.
She urged traditional leaders to help the Government to ensure the boats are used for their intended purpose.
Amathila expressed disappointment over the fact that food has not been distributed to the affected people in the region despite the fact that drought relief food was available in the warehouse at Katima Mulilo. She stressed that although the available food was intended for drought relief in the region, the Government expected the regional council to urgently utilise available food in case an emergency situation arises.
She stressed that all meat that has been donated to all flood-stricken regions in the country has been distributed to flood victims except for Caprivi where until now meat was still stored at the local abattoir.
She said the situation shows no change of behaviour despite the fact that 18000 bags of mealie-meal were left to rot in the warehouse at the town two years ago while poor people went hungry. She said the Government and international donors were concerned this time and did not want to see a repetition of past inaction.
Meanwhile, on behalf of the Mafwe Tribal Authority, Chief George Simasiku Mamili donated a consignment of blankets, clothing and food items to flood victims.
The deputy premier thanked the generous support the traditional authority rendered to support the Government in its endea-vour to assist flood victims. She said as a token to enhance solidarity between traditional leaders in the country, the donation shall be sent to flood victims in the Oshana region and to those at Schuckmannsburg in the Caprivi region.
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