Survivors commemorate Cassinga Day Municipality strives to provide free internet
KEETMANSHOOP - The Keetmanshoop municipal council recently approved an agreement with Leo Canopus to provide free internet services to residents of the town.
This memorandum of understanding was justified in that broadband (internet access) is a basic right to information of every citizen in town, and should thus be ideally offered across the community.
Another justification was that increased internet access penetration can drive economic growth and increase commercial activity that will expand the town’s tax base, and ultimately exceed its investments in information communication technology, minutes of the management committee meeting that recommended the agreement indicated.
This trial run for free internet services to community access points can provide for value-added services such as advertising, data collection and public service announcements. It also indicated that during the trial period (August 2020 to January 2021) in the ‘TransNamib’ area in Tseiblaagte, an average of 77 users have served the web daily.
“In light of the above, Leo Canopus has proposed to partner with council for the phased implementation of a Community WIFI project on a Build+ Operate+ Lease+ Transfer (BOLT) model,” municipal spokesperson Dawn Kruger explained to New Era.
She said phase one will be envisaging to include installation in various access points, namely a minimum of 14 points covering Tseiblaagte and Krönlein, and one each at the Old Mutual shopping centre, in Hampie Plichta Street, and the Keetmanshoop municipality’s head office, respectively.
Kruger added that it should be reasonably expected that data and knowledge generated during the course of the existing agreement will be regarded as proprietary to the two partners involved.
When explaining the benefits of the agreement, a representative from Leo Canopus said council could, through the implementation of the agreement, provide internet services, be able to have smarter meter readings, data collection and quicker response times.
The company’s obligation is to set up and maintain the infrastructure, whilst council will cater for the operation’s costs for the duration of the project.
The representative responded when asked if this partnership will result in lower costs for Telecom’s WIFI services provided to council that they are not in direct competition with Telecom, and are concentrating more on the lower income groups in the community.
Mark Vivian (17), a pupil residing in the TransNamib area, said internet services provided during the trial period towards the end of last year assisted him a lot with his studies.
“I cannot wait for the permanent access to internet provided by the Keetmanshoop municipality since it will benefit all of us here,’’ he enthused.
The total cost for rolling out phase one of the project will amount to N$905 226.78, and will be finalised and accessible by 10 June 2021.
Agroup of Cassinga survivors on Tuesday laid a wreath at Heroes Acre to mark the 43rd commemoration of the Cassinga massacre.
The massacre occurred on 4 May 1978 when South African Defence Force planes flew over the Swapo refugee camp at Cassinga in southern Angola and dropped bombs, killing close to 600 Namibians and wounding 400 others.
Cassinga survivors’ coordinating committee chairperson Ignatius Mwanyekange told Nampa the event was organised to not only pay tribute to Cassinga victims, but to pay respect to all fallen Namibian heroes who perished in the name of the country.
“Today is one of the darkest days in Namibian history.
As survivors, we reflect and remember the fallen comrades and those whose lives were cut short,” he said. Mwanyekange then urged the families of people who survived the massacre to offer the survivors the necessary support.
“As we remember this day, I wish them strength and remind them that God is with them as well as the Namibian nation. Let us give them all the necessary support because what is going on in their lives is traumatic, and some of them have scars which will never go away,” he stated.
Mwanyekange, however, expressed disappointment in how people who fought for the country are treated, stating that young people should not be the only ones blamed for a lack of respect towards elders.
“Elders and those who have been at the helm of leadership still don’t pay enough attention to people who suffered. It took more than 40 years to have shrines built at Cassinga, which to me is unacceptable. It is a shame to all of us for having taken this long,” he stressed.
Speaking at the same occasion, NationalHeritageCouncil(NHC) chairperson Rosa Persendt said the day should not be forgotten.
“This is an immense occasion for us as the NHC. It is the blood that watered that day so many years ago that gave us freedom to stand here today to be free while others are still sitting in trauma. It should never be forgotten, because sometimes we ignore history and forget what had really happened,” she added.