Minister of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform Inge Zaamwani has ordered urgent action on water shortages, delayed responses and land servicing challenges in the Erongo region, citing their direct impact on livelihoods.
Zaamwani made the remarks during the ministry's four-day ministerial performance review and planning workshop at Swakopmund on Monday, where senior management and regional officials gathered to assess the 2025/26 financial year, identify implementation challenges and set measurable targets for the 2026/27 financial year.
Responding to concerns raised by Erongo governor Natalia /Goagoses, Zaamwani said the region can no longer describe itself as water-stressed while it is located next to the ocean and already has desalination potential.
"This region is water-stressed when the water is just 200 metres away. Are we serious that Erongo must still be called a water-stressed region when the ocean is right here?
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"You must accelerate the development of the second desalination plant and ensure that the existing desalination plant supplies water efficiently and sustainably," she said.
The minister stressed that access to water should not only be about infrastructure development, but also affordability for ordinary residents and businesses.
"Not only must we develop water, but the water must become cost-effective and affordable. I am a resident of Walvis Bay myself and I know my own water bill, even when I am not there the whole day. Water cannot remain a luxury in a region surrounded by the sea," she said.
Zaamwani addressed complaints about poor feedback from the ministry, saying delayed responses to correspondence from regional leaders, local authorities and communities were unacceptable and undermined public trust.
/Goagoses had earlier raised concern over delayed responses from the ministry, saying some letters from the regional leadership remained unanswered for weeks, despite involving urgent service delivery matters.
"We do not even receive acknowledgements of the letters we are writing to the ministry on urgent issues. At least tell us that you have received the correspondence and how far the matter is. People are waiting for answers and communities are expecting services," she said.
- Nampa
