Plans to improve the Otavi Magistrate's Court are on the recommendation cards following a visit by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Capital Projects and Legal Affairs, which found the building not conducive to court sessions.

This was confirmed by committee chairperson Tjekero Tweya during a courtesy call to the Otjozondjupa Governors Office, represented by Regional Council Chairperson Marlene Mbakera.

Otjozondjupa Regional Council has welcomed the creation of the special wildlife court in the region as a means to speedily handle cases and deter would-be offenders dealing in protected game products.

This sentiment was shared by Otjozondjupa Regional Council Chairperson, Marlene Mbakera, during a courtesy call to the Governor's office by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs at the Otjiwarongo.

According to Mbakera, the region's central location makes it an entry and exit zone for poachers.

The Mayor of Otjiwarongo says they are carefully crafting the process for the recruitment of a new Chief Executive Officer for the town.

Gottlieb Shivute says once the report on the recruitment process is completed, it will be forwarded to the Minister of Urban and Rural Development for his approval no later than next week.

Shivute revealed this to nbc News during the launch of the five-year strategic plan of the town council recently.

The War Veterans Association in the Otjozondjupa Region emphasises the importance of realising the green hydrogen initiative championed by the late President Hage Geingob.

Vetungua Kauari, speaking on behalf of the regional members, stated that the elders fully support the green hydrogen project, which is intended to benefit all Namibian citizens.

Kauari made these statements during his speech at the Otjozondjupa regional memorial service held in honour of Dr. Geingob at Mokati Stadium in Otjiwarongo.

Located about 200 km north of Otjiwarongo,Coblenz settlement residents blame the police's slow reaction time to crime for the increase in stock theft in the area.

Just this week, residents found the internal organs and skins of about 20 goats and sheep under a bridge five kilometres from Coblenz.

To their dismay, after calling the police, they had to wait for about an hour before the police arrived.

This, the residents narrated, is nothing new from the Coblenz police.

The towns of Otjiwarongo and Grootfontein in the Otjozondjupa Region and Outjo in the Kunene Region are still without Chief Executive Officers (CEOs).

CEOs are the accounting officers at town councils and are charged with overall oversight of council operations.

These local authorities, however, had been without substantive CEOs for a considerable period, and as Faith Sankwasa from Otjozondjupa reports, little or nothing is being done to appoint CEOs.

The three councils have not had substantive heads for months, with the council making use of acting CEOs.

Residents of Otjiwarongo have been planting vegetables in open spaces in the town to address food insecurity.

Even though they understand that they cannot put up permanent structures on municipal land, the residents have started planting on the available land.

This is done in a manner that is normally practiced on farms or villages, where households wake up as early as six o'clock to either plough or sow in their fields.

Gardens can be seen on the outskirts of Otjiwarongo's informal settlements, with some residents busy ploughing.

Youth in Otjiwarongo refuse to lie idle, waiting for job opportunities to be created, and have ventured into selling firewood.

Most residents in Otjiwarongo's informal settlement depend on firewood for cooking and other energy needs, hence the reason to start a firewood business.

Firewood business owner Hamugandjo Shitumba says, "On good days, I would make at least N$1,000 or more. I do have challenges with the car that keeps breaking down when I go get firewood, but I am making money."

The Otjiwarongo Constituency in the Otjozondjupa Region has come to the aid of school-going children with a donation of stationery.

Otjozondjupa Regional Council Public Relations Officer, Cornelia Shilongo, says children were identified from poverty-stricken households where parents or guardians cannot afford school supplies.

The stationery packs, valued at N$10,000, benefitted about 40 learners from Grades 1 to 10 at various schools in Otjiwarongo, whose parents had requested assistance.

Stationary stores in Otjiwarongo are packed as parents busy themselves with back-to-school shopping. Stationery lists, some say, require them to dig deep into their pockets.

While last-minute shoppers wait for the last day of shopping before schools reopen, others are making sure they have everything printed on their schools' stationary lists.