Oshakadiva is premature
By Victor Angula|
The idea of joining the two northern sister towns of Oshakati and Ongwediva, to become one town, is an idea that is perhaps good in many ways.
But looking at the other ways, I would rather say that such an idea is not a good one at this stage.
Although Oshakati is much an older town, such that even before Independence Oshakati had already taken on the features of a town, and after being proclaimed a local authority in 1992 Oshakati had the chance to pick up from where it was to become a wonderful town, the town just struggled to get off the ground.
Over the years Oshakati struggled to run itself properly. The Oshakati airfield, which would have been an important asset of the town, was allowed to die, and a lot of productive assets such as the Eloolo Abattoir died during the years.
Despite the fact that Oshakati has government infrastructures, like the government ministries and other private sector economic assets, the town simply failed to take advantage of them.
In comparison, Ongwediva, which before the proclamation as a local authority in 1992 it had little of anything to talk off, got off the ground quickly over the years to become a good town.
Assets sprung from the ground such as the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair Centre, and private assets increased over the years.
The town of Ongwediva is much clean in comparison to Oshakati. And there are a lot other things which are simply a result of good successive leadership at Ongwediva, something you can’t say about Oshakati.
The possibility is there that by the year 2030 Ongwediva may become a municipality.
But that will never become a reality if Ongwediva and Oshakati are joined together. The progress of Ongwediva would be reduced by the sluggishness of Oshakati.
Let the twins alone to grow separately, so that the best one will become great, instead of making them one and the same so that all they could do is to achieve average success in life.
– Victor Angula is the editor of Omutumwa News Online. He can be reached at victorangula@yahoo.com
