Inhabitants of the Otjozondjupa Region on Wednesday at a consultative meeting with the Fifth Boundaries Delimitation and Demarcation Commission at Otjiwarongo called for the division of Otjozondjupa into two parts.
The residents suggested that the two parts be called the Otjozondjupa North Region and Otjozondjupa South Region.
‘This is due to the vastness of the current Otjozondjupa Region which stretches from Okahandja to Gam settlement, about 900 kilometres,’ they said.
The inhabitants, of whom the majority were traditional leaders and local authority councillors, said the demarcation of Otjozondjupa into two regions would improve service delivery to the residents.
They suggested that Grootfontein become the administrative capital of the Otjozondjupa North Region comprising of the constituencies of Otavi, Otjituuo, Tsumkwe and Grootfontein, while also bringing in the Tsumeb and Guinas areas of the Oshikoto Region, saying Tsumeb and Guinas are situated close to Grootfontein.
The residents proposed that
Otjozondjupa South continue to utilise Otjiwarongo as its administrative capital with a total of six new constituencies of Okakarara, Omatako, Okondjatu, Okamatapati and Otjiwarongo.
According to the attendees the population growth of the region from about 143 000 in 2011, to 220 000 in 2023 should be a motivating factor to geographically influence change to the regional and constituency boundaries.
Chairperson of the Fifth Boundaries Delimitation and Demarcation Commission, Judge Epafroditus Unengu on behalf of the commission said the commission does not approve proposals, but assesses and recommends to the president, who appointed the commission.
Unengu, along with commissioners Penias Topnaar, Gerhardt Gurirab, Phanuel Kaapama and Prisca Anyolo, received the inhabitants’ proposal document, saying they would compile a report for the president.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency