NAMIBIA VOTES 2020 New Mukwe councillor brimful of ideas
RUNDU – Incoming Mukwe councillor Damian Maghambayi said he has big plans for the constituency, including improving education, creating jobs and business opportunities for young people.
Maghambayi was voted overwhelmingly after receiving nearly 3 000 votes, compared to the All People’s Party (APP) Benedict Dindo, who could garner a measly 596 votes.
Maghambayi, in an interview with New Era, said local inhabitants wanted change; hence, they gave him more votes.
“We have water issues, poor road conditions in our rural areas, shortages of health facilities and network towers amongst other challenges that the constituency is facing,” he said.
“Looking at the turnout at the polls, majority were young people and they are in need of many things – from education to employment to business opportunities. I will see to it that there should be an actual youth empowerment. We are going to look at how we are going engage the youths in Mukwe to bring about bankable projects in the constituencies with the assistance of government, donors and so on; we know that the government budget is so slim – but with stakeholders in the constituency, we will see how to engage them to see how they can assist in our constituency,” he added.
Maghambayi noted that there are some non- governmental organisations in Mukwe who are currently assisting in the area of providing potable water to villages, and he plans to strengthen that relationship to coordinate their work, as they have they have the same mission.
“As the constituency councillors office, we are also going to work closely with Divundu village council because we have the same aim, which is to bring development to Mukwe. Although I can’t partake in their council meetings, I will just go attend as a community member to listen – council meetings are public,” Maghambayi.
He said it was time to wear boots and overalls to work for Mukwe to change the current state of affairs of underdevelopment.
“We are busy identifying one agriculture project that will also keep some youths busy and productive while dealing with other projects that we intend to do,” he said.
Despite the scarcity of resources, Maghambayi said there is a plan to mobilise them to meet government halfway.