Onayena Constituency Councillor Kamati Mateus has urged potential investors to contribute to the development of Onayena settlement with the aim of transforming it into a town.

Mateus in an interview with Nampa said currently, there is more reliance on Ondangwa for the provision of services.

He said Onayena received settlement status in 1997 but has not progressed towards achieving town status, hence his attempts at attracting investors in order to speed up the settlement’s transformation.

‘Since I joined the office in 2020, I have been looking for ideas and investors to develop our settlement,’ said Mateus.

He also raised concern about the number of schools and the youth unemployment problem in the area.

‘We have over 40 000 people and a total of 16 schools in our area, with only three secondary schools catering for 32 villages in the constituency. We have many unemployed youth,’ he said.

Mateus said that there are quite a number of business opportunities in Onayena and those interested in investing ca
n amongst others look into opening clothing stores and private medical practices, and offering veterinary services and banking facilities.

‘We have a lot of farmers here, so it is a great opportunity to develop the town with this sector. An investor can possibly come on board and invest in our farmers,’ Mateus said.

The councillor asserted that the transformation of Onayena into a town would yield numerous job opportunities, contributing to both local youth empowerment and broader socio-economic development.

‘We found some investors that are willing to develop our area and I want to encourage the people of Onayena Constituency to cooperate with them,’ said Mateus.

He also highlighted the historical significance of Onayena in Namibia’s liberation struggle.

‘Onayena is a vital area on the Namibian map as well as abroad because the first evangelical settlers came to this area,’ he said.

Mateus elaborated on the political importance of Onayena, saying several politicians, including the late Andimba Toivo ya
Toivo, commenced their political careers in the area.

Kuku Ester Niilonga ya Haipinge, sister of the late Dr Nickey Iiyambo, also expressed her strong desire for Onayena’s development into a town, citing the area’s rich history and numerous prominent figures.

‘Onayena was supposed to be the main town in the Oshikoto Region where all the regional offices operate from,’ said Haipinge.

Expressing her hopes for progress, she said the community is eager to enjoy the fruits of the liberation struggle after 33 years.

Source: Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA)