EPUPA, September 24 — Vice President Lucia Witbooi has taken the government’s social inclusion agenda to the remote Epupa Constituency, pledging closer engagement with communities and a more targeted response to the developmental and humanitarian challenges affecting residents.
Witbooi made the remarks on Thursday during a community engagement at Otjomuru, where she said her visit was intended to give government a first hand understanding of the conditions facing residents, particularly marginalised communities.
The Vice President said President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah had entrusted her with responsibility for three key areas marginalised communities, disability affairs and genocide and had placed the respective divisions under the Office of the Vice President to strengthen government planning, budgeting and targeted social welfare interventions.
“I have come here with the aim of familiarising myself with the situation on the ground. To come and be with you, to see you, to engage with you and give you an honest assurance that this Government care about you,” Witbooi told residents.
The visit comes after a report received by her office in August from the Deputy Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare raised concerns about a critical drought and humanitarian situation affecting several villages in Epupa, including Otjikoyo, Otjomuru and Ohaiua.
Witbooi said the report also identified a range of other developmental concerns requiring government attention, prompting her decision to engage directly with residents rather than rely solely on reports submitted to government offices.
“We are not here today just to hold another meeting or read speeches. We are here to collaborate and to take necessary action on the specific challenges facing this community, moving forward,” she said.
The Vice President emphasised that the government’s development agenda should not leave any community behind, including people living in remote parts of Kunene.
“In Namibia, no society should feel left out in any developmental agenda of the nation, and the people of Kunene are not exception,” she said.
Witbooi was accompanied by Kunene Governor Vipuakuje Muharukua, whom she described as an important partner in addressing challenges affecting the region. She said the governor’s presence would help strengthen coordination between the national and regional levels of government.
The engagement is part of Witbooi’s broader work on marginalised communities and disability affairs. Earlier this year, she called for stronger efforts to advance the rights and socio-economic development of persons with disabilities and marginalised communities, while stressing the importance of inclusive and equitable development.
The Office of the Vice President has also highlighted inclusion and improved access to services as key areas of Witbooi’s portfolio. Recent government initiatives have included work on disability assessment systems and implementation of the Revised National Policy on Disability for 2025–2035.
For communities in remote areas, access to public services remains a significant development concern. UNICEF has noted that rural communities can face additional barriers, including long distances to health and educational facilities, limited specialised services and inadequate transportation.
Witbooi said the purpose of the Epupa engagement was therefore not simply to listen, but to create a platform where residents, traditional leaders, regional authorities and government officials could openly discuss problems and identify practical ways forward.
She urged residents and community leaders to use the engagement to raise matters affecting their daily lives, saying the delegation had allocated the entire day to listening to the community.
“Let this engagement be productive and profitable as we strive to confront the challenges facing the communities here in the Epupa Constituency,” she said.
The Vice President’s visit to Kunene forms part of her continued engagement with marginalised communities in the region. In July, she also participated in high-level consultations concerning the Hai-//om San community in and around Etosha National Park, where government emphasised coordinated action and inclusive development in responding to community concerns.
At Epupa, Witbooi closed her opening remarks by formally handing the floor to community members, signalling the start of deliberations expected to focus on the humanitarian situation, development needs and other concerns raised by residents.
