The Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Carl Schlettwein visited the Omusati Region to assess the flood situation in the Outapi Constituency, as a result of waters from Angola.

At the meeting with Governor Erginus Endjala and the Regional Disaster Risk Management team, Schlettwein urged people not to panic as the flood is not a disaster.

Endjala on his part warned Traditional Authority not to allocate plots to people in flood-prone areas, saying those areas are supposed to be for animal grazing.

Senior Hydrologist Leonard Hango says people should expect more rainfall in the coming months as the La Nina phenomenon could occur during this season, particularly in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin, a transboundary wetland area shared by Angola and Namibia.

The state Veterinarian for Omusati Region, Dr. Josephat Peter says flood water brings many diseases which need to be curbed with vaccination. 

The flood water is gradually rising in Outapi Constituency and so far four homesteads were relocated and some schools near the border are temporarily closed.