Rundu: Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources member, Ferdinand Hengombe, has emphasised the untapped medicinal potential of plants in the Kavango East and Zambezi regions. Hengombe made the remarks on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to Kavango East Governor Hamunyera Hambyuka. The visit forms part of the committee's broader mission to assess the effectiveness, sustainability, and impact of conservancies, green schemes, and agricultural projects in the region.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Hengombe, visiting the area for the first time, shared his personal experience exploring local plants, noting that even common fruit trees like mangoes have medicinal properties. He stated that mango leaves, if properly processed, can help treat hypertension, asthma, colds, flu, and even boost testosterone levels. He urged the region to think innovatively and explore the economic potential of its natural resources, citing examples such as the use of !Nara fruit in body lotion production in western Namibia.

Hengombe called on local leaders to explore value addition and capitalise on resources like mango seeds and leaves to create new revenue streams. Meanwhile, fellow committee member John Likando recommended that governors in regions with green schemes form a forum to address issues like the centralisation of procurement functions, which he said often delays progress and productivity in these initiatives. He noted that the government was able to allocate N.dollars 1 billion to settle payments for the Public Service Medical Aid Scheme, and added that a similar allocation could be made for all green schemes across the country - provided such a recommendation comes from the governors' forum.