By: Annakleta Haikera
High levels of poverty and a lack of basic services in Kavango East have been recorded, with many households still without access to clean water, toilets, and electricity.
This is according to the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) assessment that was presented to the region’s stakeholders yesterday.
Presenting the findings in Rundu, NSA senior demographer, Tommy Harris, said 13.8% of the region’s population has no access to water, while 50.5% of households do not have toilets.
He further stated that 48.7% of homes lack flushing toilets and 57.4% are without electricity.
“Ndiyona constituency has no flushing toilets at all, forcing residents to rely on unsafe sanitation practices,” Harris said.
Harris added that in Mukwe constituency, 31.6% of residents still fetch water directly from rivers, posing a risk of waterborne diseases and crocodile attacks. He also highlighted that 33.3% of households are in informal settlements, with families living in shacks and traditional huts, indicating notable housing challenges in the region.
“Many households depend on lamps, batteries, torches, and cellphones for lighting due to the lack of electricity,” he explained.
According to Harris, the region is experiencing rapid population growth, with the number of private households increasing from 23,050 to 39,907.
The annual population growth rate has more than doubled from 1.6% to 3.9%.
The urban population showed significant growth from 46.0% to 56.9%, while the rural population declined to 43.1%, showing that more people are moving to towns like Rundu, which remains Namibia’s second-most populated town.
EDUCATION GAINS, BUT PRIMARY SCHOOL CHALLENGES REMAIN
Harris noted improvements in education levels: secondary education attainment rose from 15.2% to 18.8%.
Meanwhile, tertiary education more than doubled, increasing from 4.1% to 9.7%. However, primary education levels dropped slightly from 48.6% to 46.9%, which Harris attributed to challenges in school access and learner retention.
Harris reported that the average household size decreased from 6.3 to 5.3 members, while female-headed households increased from 44.6% to 53.0%.
“The population remains youthful, with individuals aged 15-34 making up 33.3% of the population, though this is slightly down from 36.9%,” Harris concluded.
Kavango East governor Julius Hambyuka said the newly-released census data will play a crucial role in shaping the region’s development agenda and guiding future policies.
Hambyuka lauded the NSA for their hard work, dedication, and commendable effort that went into conducting the census from 24 September 2023 until the final stages of compiling, producing, analysing, and disseminating the results.
He said the data gathered is more than just numbers and statistics; it is a factual snapshot of who the people of Kavango East are, how they live, where the region stands, and how far the nation has progressed.
“We now know, for example, that our great Kavango East Region is home to 218,421 residents, and we are eager to explore the characteristics, trends, and unique stories that these numbers represent,” Hambyuka remarked.
He added that the census data is a rich and valuable resource that will help leaders and stakeholders recognise the region’s strengths, address challenges, and seize opportunities to shape the future they aspire to.
“The transformational data available in the census reports and in the profile tailored to our region provides the evidence we need to plan better, allocate resources more effectively, and measure our progress with confidence. This is not just a milestone, but a call to action,” the governor stressed.
Hambyuka noted that the information would not be left to gather dust on shelves, but would be used to drive meaningful change in people’s lives.
“With this information, we are now better positioned to tackle pressing issues facing our communities, from improving access to water, sanitation, and electricity, to ensuring quality education and healthcare for all,” he said.
Most of the people in the Kavango East Region live along the Kavango River. Subsistence farming is the main source of livelihood, but poverty and unemployment remain high.
According to the NSA, Kavango East is among the poorest regions in the country, with limited access to clean water, electricity, and adequate sanitation facilities.
