Erongo Law Enforcement Takes Down Drug Operations in Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.

In a significant crackdown, Erongo law enforcement authorities have successfully confiscated drugs with an estimated value of N$1.5 million in operations conducted at Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.

Seven Namibian nationals are now in custody following separate arrests.

Athletes from the Erongo region will take part in a Special Olympics sports day at the Playtime sports complex in Walvis Bay on Saturday,.

The event's goal is to unite male and female athletes while motivating them to reach their best potential.

A global association called Special Olympics supports athletes who have intellectual disabilities and developmental delays.

Through a number of programme initiatives, the Association works to promote the wellbeing and involvement of these athletes.

Erongo Governor Neville Andre said that the current state of the economy will have a negative impact on regional electricity distributors in the region.

During his State of the Region Address, André said the global energy landscape is undergoing a significant transition, with renewable energy sources driving a plateau in energy demand by 2030.

Despite these challenges, an electricity distributor such as Erongo RED aims to electrify four rural areas in the region during the current financial year.

The demand for health care services is growing in the Erongo Region due to an ageing population, staff shortages, and an underdeveloped healthcare system.

During his State of the Region Address, Neville Andre says there is an aggravated lack of proper mental healthcare facilities and congested clinics and health centres both in Walvis Bay and Swakopmund districts due to urban migration.
 
Andre said the clinics were not built to accommodate a high number of patients.

Dryland regions such as the Erongo Region are under threat from deforestation, recurrent drought, and climate change, which could potentially threaten the livelihoods of the inhabitants.

More than 100 senior citizens of Arandis staged a demonstration over alleged poor management by the town council.

The senior citizens have also appealed to the Council to write off their debts.
 
The elderly accuse the council of keeping tenders aside for friends and families of those in the council management.
 
They say this contributes to the high unemployment rate among residents of the town, particularly the youth.

A family from the Erongo Region is seeking justice from the police, whom they accuse of brutality.

The father of a mentally and physically disabled man in Swakopmund has expressed his utter dissatisfaction with the police for failing to perform up to expected standards when they dealt with his child.

Gideon Doeseb accuses the police of being responsible for his son's physical disability by hitting him with a vehicle.

Doeseb explains that his son was discovered to be mentally ill, and during an outburst, police were called to escort him to the hospital.

Stakeholders in education have recommended that all schools in the Erongo Region should cultivate their own gardens to help feed pupils who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

This was one of the recommendations at the just ended meeting held at Swakopmund aimed at developing plan of action.

Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Nathalia |Goagoses has called on teachers in the Erongo Region to be extraordinary this year.

|Goagoses says teachers should transform their teaching methods in order to achieve better academic results.

The Deputy Minister addressed education stakeholders in the Erongo Region, who convened at Swakopmund to develop a plan following the dismal academic results of 2022.

Nathalia |Goagoses told the audience that she was an underqualified teacher in the 1980s who managed to transform a failing Windhoek school.

Tourism in Erongo is showing signs of positive recovery, with most hotel establishments reaching an occupancy rate of 59,36 in the fourth quarter of last year, compared to 50,1 percent in 2019.
 
This was highlighted by Governor Neville Andre during the Erongo Tourism Forums media briefing with stakeholders.   

The region's tourism sector is well on its way to recovery after it was severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.