Khorixas residents demand development

MY SECRET ... A polling officer cast her vote during the regional and local authority special voting this week at the Eddie Bowe Primary School polling station. Photo: Nampa

RESIDENTS of the Donkerhoek informal settlement in Khorixas have expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of their current town councillors on the development of infrastructure at the informal settlement.

Christiana !Nawases, a resident of Donkerhoek and a mother of seven, told Nampa that she will stand in the queue and vote in this year's regional and local authority elections tomorrow because she expects changes and improvement from the new councillors.

“The old councillors have not done anything for this town since independence. We have a water shortage, this informal settlement is dirty, there is no electricity and people still use the bush as toilets. Why is it that we are not provided these needs?” she questioned.
!Nawases is a single mother and is unemployed. She sells traditional brew, cigarettes and tobacco to survive and support her school-attending children.

Moureen !Horases, a domestic worker and a mother of three, said she has been living at Donkerhoek since her birth and never had a formal job at Khorixas.

“There are no jobs at Khorixas. When the new councillors are sworn in that we voted for, the first thing I want to see is a shopping mall. Currently, we have to travel to Otjiwarango for shopping purposes. With the little money I earn, it's difficult to even pay for a lift. We need development at Khorixas,” she noted. A return trip from Khorixas to Otjiwarango cost N$260. Seventeen-year old Rianna Basson dropped out of school in Grade 4 when she got pregnant with her first child in 2002, and is still unemployed.

She said the reason why she has given up looking for a job is because of the alleged nepotism at Khorixas.

“What happens here at Khorixas is when they advertise jobs and ask the community to apply, the authorities who do the selection only appoint their relatives. We from Donkerhoek never make it on the successful candidate list,” she explained.

A total of 7 977 registered voters at Khorixas will be lining up to vote for either Sebastiaan Ignatius !Gobs from the United Democratic Front of Namibia or Elias Aro Xoagub of Swapo in the regional council election.
- Nampa