Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare reiterated the government's commitment to providing and rolling out all necessary amenities to rural communities and ensuring equitable access to essential services across the country.

Speaking at the belated Independence celebration and handover of four deep boreholes at Onamudidi in the Ohangwena Region over the weekend, Dr. Ngurare highlighted that true independence lies in equal treatment by ensuring that all citizens enjoy its benefits, regardless of their geographical location.

"Every village must have a borehole, and every village must have a security borehole. Now, what I mean is that when one borehole is broken, no village must go without water; there must be a plan B. If Windhoek does not have water, people are not happy. If Eenhana does not have water, people are not happy, so therefore your human needs and the human needs of those in rural areas are equal; we cannot say it's normal to walk 10 to 20 kilometres."

Ngurare also urged residents of Epembe, particularly the youth, to venture into agriculture, stressing that it can help boost food security and self-reliance.

He said the local communities can grow their own produce, which the government can potentially purchase to support drought relief programmes instead of sourcing elsewhere.

"From here on forward, let's begin on small-scale irrigation projects from which we can derive income. When we, in the Office of the Prime Minister, are distributing drought food, we don't need to go to Eenhana to look for food that can be produced here in Epembe; you can be the producer of that food, and we buy from you."

The boreholes were drilled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Land Reform and will supply water to about 23 villages within Epembe and neighbouring constituencies. 

Epembe Constituency Councillor Mathew Nanghama has appealed to the government to accelerate development efforts in rural areas, stating that the constituency continues to face numerous challenges.