FLOODING: The North is soaked. From Outapi and Onandjaba in the Omusati Region to Oshakati and Helao Nafidi in Oshana and Ohangwena respectively, and as far north as Ondjiva in the Cunene Province of Angola, the pictures look the same: flooded residences, businesses and institutional establishments following the torrential rains of the past two days. Water pans are full to the brim; many two-track rural roads are impassable, and slippery gravel roads make travelling a hard and tedious effort. With heavy downpours continuing in the Cuvelai catchment area north of the Namibia-Angola border, the arrival of the annual efundja waters from Angola is just a matter of time. “Water is everywhere. It started raining heavily at around 18:00 on Sunday and only stopped at 07:00 today [Monday],” said a resident of Ondjiva. Meanwhile, practically all the residents of Oshakati’s Kasikili Island have evacuated their flooded houses on their own because of a lack of assistance, despite their month-long plea to the town council.
