Residents demand division of Okavango 07 August, 2012

SHAKAWE - Okavango residents have suggested that their constituency be divided into two with the Okavango River being the boundary line. Speaking at the Delimitation Commission consultation meeting in Shakawe recently, residents said it was time the constituency was divided into two looking at the challenges of distance. They suggested that a new constituency that should be called Okavango East should start at the Namibia/Botswana border line through Mohembo East and include Seshokora settlement. The constituency would have an estimated population of 13 916 people. Another new constituency - Okavango West should start from the Mohembo West border and include Etsha 1 and Nxau-Nxau village which would result in an estimated population of 23 506 people. Currently, the Okavango constituency has a population of over 35 000. Furthermore, they requested that Etsha 1 up to Etsha 13 villages should be relocated from the Ngami constituency back to Okavango to enable the carving of the two parliamentary constituencies. One of the speakers, Mr Bafenyang Ngaka said Etsha villages were transferred to Ngami with a total population of over 10 000 people during the 2002 delimitation commission, saying it was disappointing because the people of Etsha were from the same tribe and had one representative at Ntlo Ya Dikgosi. Turning to Jao, Jedibe and Xaqua flats settlements, Mr Ngaka said most of the people who were working in lodges in the Okavango Delta were from Okavango and should automatically fall under the Okavango constituency not Ngami as it was currently the case. Another speaker, Mr Ketlogetswe Disho urged the commission not to focus only on the required number of 36 000 people per constituency but instead also look at the challenges in the constituency such as the size, lack of roads, poor communication and the fact that the area MP was unable to visit all his electorates as expected. Moreover, Mr Disho said, the Okavango constituency was lagging behind in developments. He said that the constituency had flood plains, swamps and rivers, which occupied a wide geographic location and its physical characteristics gave it a remote area status characterised by deep heavy sands, which made travelling difficult. Currently, the Okavango constituency consists of 37 villages including settlements. BOPA