Thikanduko villagers in the Mukwe of the Kavango East Region will no longer fall victims of crocodile attacks which is rife at the village.

This follows the recent inauguration and handing over of the community water point which was funded by the Kavango East Regional Council at a cost of N$ 650 - thousand dollars.

Thikanduko village which is located 150 kilometres East of Rundu is one among the numerous villages in Mukwe Constituency which are prone to crocodile attacks.

A year ago, a 14-year-old girl, Ellen Mashora Disho, was killed by a crocodile at the said village when she went to the river to fetch water.

As part of the effort to address the crocodile attacks and water challenge at the village, MuKwe Constituency Councillor, Damian Maghambayi came up with the initiative to provide water infrastructure to minimise crocodile attacks incidences at the village.  

Speaking during the inauguration of the Thikanduko water point, Urban and Rural Development Minister, Erastus Uutoni applauded the Kavango East Regional Council for taking services closer to the people despite the marginal financial resources at its disposal.

Uutoni stressed that the Regional Councils are the custodian of development agenda, and called on the regional leadership to ensure that the recentralization process which is aimed at bringing the government closer to the people is realised and for the people to have total participation in their own development.

“so, there are people who are saying that the government is not concentrating in rural setup, today we are here celebrating what have been achieved, off course we know that there has been a loss of life but we are saying also that the government has come to the rescue to assist and then also empower the community of Thikanduko,” he said.

Also speaking at the same occasion, the Director of Water Supply and Sanitation Coordination in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform stressed that in addition to the construction of the Thikanduko water point, his Ministry in close collaboration with the Kavango East Regional Council and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism have identified several villages in the Mukwe Constituency that are prone to crocodile attacks.

Dr. Ngurare indicated that the Ministry of Environment will drill and install water points at Kashira, Kapako, and Mutjiku village, while Recon Africa will do the same at, Kake, Shamaghumbo, Kangongo, Tjeye, Rundjarara, and Kayova village.

“Therefore to the memory of the Late Mashora and dozens of more innocent lives lost to incidences like this in both Kavango regions, we must collectively affirm that never again should any live be lost in search of water from the river,” Ngurare noted.

He further revealed that the Ministry is also embarking upon the construction and rehabilitations of earth dams and other water harvesting infrastructures in the two Kavango regions, to enable communities living along the water channels to engage in food production and for such people to have sufficient water to sustain their livelihoods.

 Dr. Ngurare also indicated the Ministry through the Namibia Water Sector Support Program is upgrading the Rundu Water Treatment Plant, in order to supply water through pipelines throughout the entire Kavango East and West Regions.

“while this process is going, we have also started in the meantime to start drilling some boreholes for short pipelines, the first one is from Rundu to Shambyu, and then from Bunya to Ndara and then of course we will do from Masivi, thirty kilo metres towards mururani, so we have begun this process, and I think the ministry as well as all the stakeholders, would like to be able to be hands-on and get things done, while the long term processes are continuing,” he said.

Dr. Ngurare further maintained that the Ministry of Agriculture in conjunctions with that of Health and Social Services and the Ministry of Education has also undertaken to provide water to schools and clinics.