There is a need for the construction of a fully-fledged magistrate’s court in Nkurenkuru, Governor of the Kavango West Region Sirkka Ausiku said while delivering her State of the Region Address on Friday.

Currently the region has a periodic court situated at Kahenge settlement which is meant to serve the more remote areas of the region.

Ausiku said the community courts are the preferred line of access to justice in rural communities.

“The region has two community courts namely the Mbunza and Ukwangali community courts. The two courts processed a combined total of 400 cases in a year, thus the need for a fully-fledged magistrate court,” Ausiku stated.

On the mines and energy sector Ausiku noted that the region continues to implement rural electrification at government facilities, however the region still has a backlog of 54 schools and many villages that need to be electrified.

Ausiku said villages such as Karanawa, Matende and the Namasira Check Point are amongst the many villages that need electricity.

On rural water supply the governor said she is pleased to note that a number of boreholes were drilled, installed and rehabilitated to an amount of N.dollars 12.1 million.

“We further appreciate the support from the private sector such as ReconAfrica for meeting the water needs of our communities by drilling and installing 10 boreholes in six constituencies,” she stated.

Ausiku also called on the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform to construct a water pipeline along the national road in the region.

Meanwhile on sports, youth and national service, Ausiku said she is happy the 121 rural youth enterprise project is going to start this year.

The government, through the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service, has entered into a financing agreement with the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN), under which DBN has availed an N.dollars 8 million loan facility to fund 28 rural youth enterprises.

The 121 Youth Enterprise project is a long-term youth entrepreneurship programme model under the Harambee Prosperity Plan 1 (HPP1), which emphasises youth entrepreneurship as an important sub-pillar to achieving economic growth and development among youth.

The project’s goals are to create a minimum of 1 210 new, direct, permanent and long-term jobs for Namibian youth living in rural and urban areas.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency