- Eino Vatileni
The National Assembly Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources on Thursday hosted a delegation from the Portfolio Committee on Natural Resources of the Parliament of Lesotho, which is in Namibia on a benchmarking visit to learn from the country’s experience in water-resource management.
The delegation, led by Hon. Lebohang Phohleli is seeking to gain insights into the establishment and operations of the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater), with particular focus on institutional arrangements, governance, financing, bulk water supply, infrastructure development, water-resource management, challenges encountered and lessons learnt.Speaking during the meeting, Hon. Phohleli said the delegation is in Namibia to engage with relevant stakeholders and learn from the country’s experiences and best practices in managing its water resources.He said the government of the Kingdom of Lesotho is committed to ensuring that every person in the country has access to clean and safe water, describing the achievement of access to water will be an important milestone for the country.
Chairperson of the National Assembly committee on Natural Resources, Hon. Dr. Tobie Aupindi said the success of national development agendas depends largely on how countries manage and utilise their natural resources, noting that water is among the most critical resources, alongside minerals.“As parliamentarians, we cannot always just over-regulate the market. What our people require is for us to decentralise and dismantle the colonial systems and markets that are depriving Africans of the utilisation of natural resources,” Hon. Aupindi said.
He further called for a fundamental reshaping of African markets to create greater opportunities for Africans to participate meaningfully in the exploitation and beneficiation of the continent’s natural resources.Hon. Aupindi added that African countries should also take greater responsibility for the management of their resources rather than continuing to attribute present challenges solely to the legacy of colonialism, as the continent now has greater control over its natural-resource wealth.
Committee member Hon. George Kambala stressed the importance of ensuring sustainable access to water, warning that the resource could increasingly become commercialised and privately controlled.“But we cannot allow it, as it is a human right and a source of living. We need to ensure that at all levels we are able to sustain our people and enable everyone to make a living out of it,” Hon. Kambala said.
Meanwhile, committee member Hon. Immanuel Nashinge said efforts are being made to improve water availability across Namibia despite existing challenges in some parts of the country.He said the government, together with its development partners continues to explore and develop alternative water sources to strengthen the country’s water security, including the discovery of an underground water aquifer in northern Namibia.
