Two solar-powered boreholes were handed over to the community of Uiba-Oas village in the Erongo Region on Tuesday.
The drilling and installation of the boreholes were funded by the Rössing Uranium Mine at a cost of N.dollars 760 000.
The community of more than 200 people had been pleading for such assistance for the past 10 years.
Rössing Uranium Managing Director (MD) Johan Coetzee at the handing-over on Tuesday said access to water had been a serious challenge for the community of Uiba-Oas, but with the new boreholes such challenges are over as they are capable of pumping 4 000 litres of water per day.
“This was made possible after several discussions were held with you. Through our social corporate responsibility, we were able to fund the drilling and installation of the boreholes,” said Coetzee.
The MD then thanked the community for patiently waiting on Rössing Uranium to deliver on its promises.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Erongo Regional Council Chairperson Benitha Imbamba also thanked Rössing Uranium for providing reliable water access to residents as they were in dire need for so many years.
She also thanked the commercial farmers who had assisted the community by volunteering their water tankers for the transportation of water from their farms on nearly a daily basis.
Imbamba said the majority of Uiba-Oas residents survive on selling precious stones to tourists who visit their cooperatives, and this made it difficult financially for the community to drill its own boreholes.
She thus urged the community members to look after the two boreholes and the solar panels.
Uiba-Oas village is situated in the mountainous areas between Usakos and Arandis in the Daures Constituency.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency