Community members of Onamatanga Village in the Ruacana Constituency have launched a voluntary, self-funded campaign to clear a 42-kilometre stretch of road that has left their village largely cut off from the rest of the Omusati Region.

The community says the overgrown road affects access to the village, including school transport, while also posing safety risks.

This is the Onamatanga road in the Ruacana Constituency, a 42-kilometre route branching off the Iitananga-Omakange main road.

The road serves as the main route into Onamatanga Village.

But with bushes growing along the road, visibility has become a concern for residents.

On Tuesday, young people, elders, women and men came together, armed with panga, axes and rakes, to clear the road.

Onamatanga Village Headman Sheengala Paulus says the poor condition of the road is affecting school transport and creating safety risks for learners travelling through an area inhabited by elephants.  

"As you can see, the community is busy clearing. We have a big school on this side, I.K. Tjimuhiva, where we have school learners. Some are transported by government vehicles, but we find ourselves in situations where these children are not brought to school due to the poor condition of the road, which breaks the cars. With no clear road, these children are at risk because we are in elephant territory. And as you can see, there are broken tree branches from elephants. But if we have an open and clear road, you will be able to see anything passing in front of you."  

Paulus further added that community members are happy and willing to clear their road.

He said the village has a police station and a clinic, but when an ambulance needs to rush or the police need to respond to a report, it is difficult for them because of the road.

He also noted that business people want to sell to residents, but the bad condition of the road prevents that from happening.

Ruacana Constituency Councillor Paulus Fabianus says the need to clear the road became apparent during a recent horse-racing event, when visitors struggled to find their way to Onamatanga.

"I just realised that our road network is not that good. When we were here for the horse racing, most of the people were getting lost when they were reaching Onamatanga. They got lost, and then we discussed and decided that this road, which was already proclaimed, should be cleared. I made a request that the grader should come and that the road should be cleared before the grader comes to grade for us."

Fabianus added that he has requested other villages to follow suit.

He said communities should not just wait for the government to do everything for them but should also do what they can so that the government can meet them halfway.

The Onamatanga community hopes the initiative will improve access to Onamatanga and make the road safer for all road users.