The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) in the Otjozondjupa Region has condemned the Grootfontein municipality's decision to appoint a debt collector.

The council appointed Red Force Debt Management to trace businesses and residents with outstanding accounts.

In a media release, the Otjozondjupa SPYL Regional Secretary, Alfeus Kamati, says Red Force disregards the welfare of residents and only considers the interests of those who hired it. 

Two accidents were reported in the Otjozondjupa Region on Thursday night and early this morning, resulting in the death of one person. 

Inspector Maureen Mbeha alleged that in the first accident, the driver of a white Corolla, who was travelling from Outjo towards Otjiwarongo, attempted to overtake a stationary truck that was on the road and collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle.

Both drivers and passengers escaped with minor injuries, but the vehicles were extensively damaged.

Two people have died from injuries sustained in separate car accidents along the B1 road in the Otjozondjupa region. These accidents occurred as the Easter long weekend came to an end. In addition, a total of 32 people survived with minor injuries in separate minibus accidents in the region.

According to NamPol's Inspector Maureen Mbeha, the community affairs officer for the Otjozondjupa Region both accidents were caused by tire bursts, which resulted in the drivers losing control and the vehicles overturning multiple times.

With an increase in cholera cases in some SADC countries, the Directorate of Health in the Otjozondjupa Region has launched an awareness campaign to educate communities about the disease.

The campaign targets schools, rural areas, and peri-urban areas identified as at-risk communities.

An environmental health practitioner in the Otjiwarongo District, Olivia Mbambi, said during a visit to Karundu Primary School that the awareness campaign is a proactive measure by the ministry to empower communities with knowledge about cholera.

Otjozondjupa Region Youth Activist,Terry Ujamba, in the following insert, explains why the budget was a good one.

Residents of Kalkfeld Settlement in Otjozondjupa Region have promised to live up to the dream of attaining the status of village council, as they say the late President Hage Geingob would have wanted.

Their sentiments were shared by Otjiwarongo Constituency Councillor, Marlene Mbakera, at the candlelight service held at the settlement's open market.

The settlement was left with fond memories of Dr. Geingob when he visited them and encouraged the residents and the leaders to grow economically and retain village council status.

Swapo Party members in the Otjozondjupa Region say the legacy of President Hage Geingob will not be honoured if unity is not maintained.

Over the years, Swapo membership in the region has been dwindling, and factions have formed along district and regional ranks.

However, this trend was reversed following the intervention of Dr. Geingob and the top leadership of the party.

Speaking on behalf of the party members in the region, Regional Coordinator Imms Namaseb says they will ensure that the members are unified at all times.

In the Year of Expectations, Otjozondjupa Regional Council has committed itself to redouble efforts to implement its strategic plan and goals by improving the socio-economic wellbeing of its residents.

This was said by the chairperson of the Otjozondjupa Regional Council, Marlene Mbakera, during the first meeting of the council at Otjiwarongo.

High on the council agenda this year is the revival of Kalkfeld Settlement to acquire village council status.

Otjozondjupa Acting Education Director Uerivangera Tjivikua says they will exhaust all possible avenues to ensure that all children secure space in schools.

Rural urban migration takes place at a fast pace in the Otjozondjupa Region, especially in Okahandja, Otjiwarongo, and Grootfontein.

This, in turn, results in more and more learners seeking placement in schools every year.

About 656 Grade 1 learners and 12,000 Grade 8 learners have not yet secured places in the three towns.

Division amongst staff members at schools led to the regression of the Otjozondjupa Region to the 6th position.

Otjozondjupa Acting Education Director Uerivangera Tjivikua mentioned the division to nbc News.

For the past three years, the Otjozondjupa Region has been in the fifth position but has regressed to the sixth position in the National Senior Secondary Certificate Advance Subsidiary Level and seventh in the Ordinary Level.

In terms of candidates who qualified for the advanced subsidiary, the region is in eighth place.