Tsumkwe leaders have called for urgent development interventions, saying that challenges such as unemployment and limited access to government services continue to affect communities in the constituency.
The concerns were raised during a three-day visit by a delegation from the Office of the Prime Minister, invited by Tsumkwe Constituency Councillor Petrus Mutjie to assess conditions on the ground and engage directly with residents.
Councillor Mutjie said although the delegation visited several areas, time constraints prevented them from reaching some villages, including Omatako, Nhoma and Makata.
He said Tsumkwe continues to lag behind other constituencies in the Otjozondjupa Region in terms of development.
"Our people are still jobless, the youth are lingering around without work. The elderly are just relying on pensions or grants, if not pension grants, then these small petty jobs that come as casual labour."
Mutjie said efforts are being made to encourage residents to take part in development initiatives and reduce dependency on government support.
"We are training our people to also stand up for themselves, the youth to go to school, finish, and go to university, and the elderly to come when there are projects. Those who want that have dropped out; if there are projects, they must come in big numbers, form a group and apply."
Senior Councillor of the !Kung Traditional Authority, Sarah Sungu, raised concerns over outreach services provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security.
Sungu said officials responsible for issuing national documents often spend only one day in a village before moving to the next location, leaving many residents without access to essential services.
She called for outreach programmes to spend more time in villages to ensure more people are assisted.
The Special Advisor to the Prime Minister is Asser Ntinda.
"We will compile the report once we round up the trip and see what the office of the prime minister can do together with ministries that are responsible for some of these services that we received here."