By William Mbangula
OKAHAO
The Namibia public Workers Union (Napwu) and Okahao Town Council have signed a recognition agreement to regulate industrial relations between employees and the local authority.
Speaking at the signing ceremony on Tuesday, October 16, Napwu regional organiser Jafet Shiteni lauded the town council for their commitment and honesty during the negotiation process and for having accorded Napwu a recognition status as the sole bargaining agent for its members.
Said Shiteni: “This recognition agreement has set up a legal framework which is binding to all parties concerned. This is an indication that the workers in Namibia have realized that Napwu is the only union which can represent their rights and interests in the public sector working environment. For this reason, I call upon all other employers in the public sector who have not yet concluded such agreements with Napwu to follow suit.”
Okahao town, located about 70 km west of Oshakati, is the newly proclaimed and second biggest town in Omusati Region with about 19 employees. It has a long and unique history starting from being the ancestral village of the kings of Ongandjera before becoming a settlement for the christian community, led by Finnish missionaries under the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (Elcin).
The name Okahao denotes something small. It is related to a pot, ehao (big pot) and okahao (small pot). Traditionally, the village was known as a place of magic or miraculous events which settles in the water ponds at the centre of the town known as Ombupupu.
People from the king’s palace would come to fetch water here for the dogs and would first have to reveal that they were sent by the king. When a king is to be selected among the royal family, a small pot (okahao) is put in the middle of the ombupupu pond and three candidates from the royal family are told to search for it. It is said the person who found it first would become the king of Ongandjera.
A story is told that the practice was manipulated by the elders close to the royal family, who would tip off the favoured candidate about the whereabouts of the pot.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Okahao Town, Gisbertus Mukulu, the town with a population of about 5 000 people was proclaimed in 2005 with himself and the manager of planning and finance as the first employees of the local authority.
Their first task was to put all the necessary infrastructure in place, including the construction of the N$2,5 million administrative complex which was inaugurated on February 14, 2007 by the Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development John Pandeni.
Currently, most of the key departments are occupied including the human resources, accounting, artisanship, building and health inspection.
Said Mukulu: “This town has the potential to grow because many property developers are prepared to buy land and other properties in this town. At the same time, the residents of the town are cooperating in settling their bills as required by law. As a token of appreciation, we are currently working on plans to build a suitable and business-oriented open market where hawkers can sell their goods.”
The 600-hectare Okahao town is led on the political front by seven councillors. It consists of three townships, namely Okahao proper with 208 plots, Extension 1 with 114 properties and Extension 2 with 269 properties. There are more residential properties as opposed to business and institutional erven.
Some of the social amenities include two secondary schools, one private primary school, a magistrate’s court, two primary schools, one kindergarten, one lodge, a police station, a district hospital and clinic, an airfield, a private medical centre as well as the Elcin Church Centre.
Mukulu said some significant achievements have been made, including the construction of the administrative centre, upgrading and revamping of the central sewer pump station, upgrading of the main gravel streets, construction of urban services which include sewer reticulation at the Build Together site, and construction of street lights along the national road from Etilyasa T-junction to Punyu shopping centre.
Future development projects include the formulation of the town’s strategic development plan, planning of the new townships, extension of the town land, museum, construction of the new dumping site and museum, and conclusion of twinning agreements with Shezen City in China and Ongwediva town in Oshana Region.
Mukulu said his town has chosen twinning with Ongwediva because it is one of the towns in Namibia that is successfully run by people with technical know-how and management skills, that can also be applied in Okahao due to some feature similarities.