Rural electrification moving slow

Money allocated to rural electrification in the current financial year were not enough, as there were still many rural areas without electricity, a Swapo MP in the National Council said. Cletius Sipapela, the regional councillor for the Linyanti constituency in the Caprivi Region, said some rural areas have been waiting for electricity for five years. He claimed that in some areas electricity poles were put up five years ago but have still not been connected to the national grid. "This way of service, has given those new visionless opposition parties a weapon to campaign against the ruling party's candidates," said Sipapela.

According to him, rural electrification, construction of roads and water supply in the country were all moving very slowly. He said due to annual floods, constituencies such as Kabbe, Katima Rural, Linyanti, Sibbinda and Kongola face serious water shortages. "Water pipelines came and stopped at certain points or communities and never extended to other communities," Sipapela complained. This, he said, has now made some communities to feel neglected by their own government. He told the House that the construction of a pipeline from Katima to Linyanti village stopped in 2005 and schools, clinics and many communities there are a still waiting for its completion. (The Namibian)