Sesfontein Constituency Councillor and Chairperson of the Kunene Regional Council, Hendrik Gaobaeb, has urged farmers in his constituency to sell their cattle in a bid to mitigate the losses they currently experience as a result of the severe drought.
President Nangolo Mbumba has declared a State of Emergency over the persistent drought affecting all regions of Namibia.
The State of Emergency has been declared as of May 22 under Article 26(1) of the Namibian Constitution as well as the Disaster Risk Management Act.
Namibia is faced with a severe drought again this year, affecting both humans and livestock.
It is against this background that Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is calling on Namibians to work together with the government to manage and mitigate the effects of drought.
President Nangolo Mbumba has urged Namibians to share food and other basic amenities with others amidst the drought situation.
Dr. Mbumba made these remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ondonga Heritage Shrine held in Ondonga village.
Churches are called upon to demonstrate their commitment to social and economic justice and service to the people, remove obstacles between people, advance justice and peace, and protect the integrity of creation.
Recurrent drought and locust outbreaks continue to impact smallholder farmers with agriculture-based livelihoods, making them vulnerable to food insecurity and undernutrition.
The National Democratic Party (NDP) is appealing to the government to declare the drought a state of emergency.
President Nangolo Mbumba engaged traditional leaders of the eight northern traditional authorities at Oshakati this morning.
The aim was to familiarise himself with traditional leaders, inform them officially that he had taken office as Head of State, and seek their blessings.
Residents of Omutsegwonime village in the Oshikoto Region fear that the repeat of past years of drought will manifest again this year.
Though many ploughed well on time, crops have started to wilt because of a lack of rain.
To date, the Omaheke Region has recorded below 100 mm of rainfall; hence, the farming communities, through the Office of the Governor, proposed that virgin lands be found with new boreholes.
