Onandjaba: Every morning, as residents go about their daily routines in Onandjaba, Erkki Kandjaba sees more than just another northern town. He sees a community standing at the beginning of a new chapter, one with the potential to become a thriving commercial gateway between Namibia and Angola.According to Namibia Press Agency, the man elected to lead the five-member Onandjaba Village Council following the 2025 local authority elections believes the transformation of Namibia's newest village council will not be measured by promises, but by serviced land, functioning institutions, and improved public services. 'We found the village very dirty when we took over,' Kandjaba said during an interview at the council's temporary offices at Onandjaba.Since he was elected chairperson of the village council in December 2025, his priority has not been grand development projects, but restoring pride in the village. The council organized a community clean-up campaign and turned its attention to the temporary dumpsite, where refuse had accumulated because the area floods during the rainy season. 'The garbage was scattered all over because people could not enter the dumpsite. We hired a TLB tractor to clean it up and improve access, and that was successfully done,' he explained.While seemingly modest, Kandjaba believes these early interventions demonstrated that the newly elected council was serious about delivering visible change. The council's next priority was to engage residents, many of whom wanted clarity on what becoming a village council would mean for them. 'We held community meetings because people wanted to know the status of the village, the policies and regulations, and where we are heading,' he said.Those consultations laid the foundation for the council's first budget for the 2026/27 financial year, which places overwhelming emphasis on one issue that has frustrated residents for more than two decades - unserviced residential land. When Onandjaba was still administered as the Okalongo Settlement, hundreds of residents were allocated residential plots under Permission to Occupy (PTO) arrangements. Yet many have been paying for 25 years without being able to build homes because the land lacks water, electricity, and sewerage infrastructure.Instead of introducing services in phases, the council wants complete servicing of residential extensions before registration. 'If we only put in some of the services, people will still not be able to register their properties. Our goal is to fully service the land so residents can obtain title deeds and use government housing subsidies,' he said.To make that possible, the council has requested approximately N$80 million from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development. 'If we fail to get the requested budget, we fail the residents,' Kandjaba said. 'What we need at Onandjaba is money so that we can deliver.'Development, however, requires more than infrastructure, including human capital. The council currently operates with only an acting chief executive officer and an ac countant, which has made the workload unbearable. Recruitment of a substantive chief executive officer and a human resources manager is nearing completion, after receiving ministerial approval.Once permanent management is appointed, the council plans to recruit additional staff and prepare its first five-year strategic development plan. 'We want a clear vision that will guide the development of the village,' he said.Although it is one of Namibia's youngest local authorities, Onandjaba already serves thousands of people. The village has major retailers, schools, a police station with holding cells, and a busy public health center that also serves patients from neighboring Angola. Yet residents continue calling for one important service to return.The closure of the village's only commercial bank branch has forced businesses and residents to travel elsewhere for banking services. The only basic banking service available is from NamPost. Kandjaba said negotiations with one of Namibia's leading banks on the establishment of a new branch are at an advanced stage.Another pressing challenge lies behind the scenes. The transition from settlement administration to an independent village council remains incomplete, leaving uncertainty over financial systems and municipal billing. Without its own billing system, the council has not invoiced residents for municipal services during May and June 2026. Kandjaba fears prolonged delays could undermine public confidence and even risk interruptions to electricity and water supplies.Despite these obstacles, Kandjaba remains optimistic. Construction has already begun on a road linking key public institutions, while a new water reservoir has been completed to improve water security during supply disruptions. The council is also planning to relocate the existing dumpsite and service additional residential extensions.For Kandjaba, however, Onandjaba's greatest asset cannot be built. Its location only a few kilometers from the Angolan border and close to one of the country's b usiest border crossings, Wakashamane Border Post, places it in a strategic position to benefit from expanding cross-border trade. The chairperson is particularly encouraged by plans reportedly being pursued by the Angolan government to construct a modern road linking the border to Shangongo town, stretching approximately 76 kilometers into Angolan territory. 'If that road is completed, economic opportunities in Onandjaba will be limitless,' Kandjaba said.Today, Onandjaba is home to an estimated 14,000 people. The council has already received more than 1,200 applications for residential land and hundreds more for business and industrial plots. For Kandjaba, those numbers tell a story of growing confidence. The challenge now is ensuring that the village's infrastructure, administration, and services keep pace with its ambitions.'Our responsibility is to create a village where people can invest, build their homes, and create businesses. It is only the beginning, but we are determined to build the future that the people of Onandjaba have waited for,' he said.