Residents of Omusati's Amaupa and Oikokola villages are fuming over the lack of cellphone network coverage, resulting in them resorting to climbing trees in search of a network.

The fed-up villagers handed over a petition to the Tsandi Councillor and the Governor of the Omusati Region.

The villagers say the non-availability of network coverage has made it difficult for them to report incidents of crime and emergencies.

They are calling on MTC, or Telecom, to erect a network tower in their villages.

Villagers of Oikokola and Amaupa in the Omusati Region marched to the office of Governor Erginus Endjala to hand over their petition demanding clean drinking water.

In their petition, the demonstrators say that at Independence, Namibia adopted Vision 2030, promising to improve and increase safe drinking water and sanitation in both rural and urban areas.

This is still not the case at Oikokola and Amaupa villages, they argue.