PM Receives More Flood Donations

Loide Jason

27 April 2011

Windhoek — Prime Minister Nahas Angula last week received donations from five companies in support of thousands of flood-displaced people.

The five donors are the De Beer Marine Namibia (DBMN), Hong Kong Restaurant, Mulungushi Namibia Textiles and Importers, AgriBank and Kalahari Holding Property Limited

DBMN, through its Social Responsibility Fund (SRF), donated mosquito nets, water purification tablets, blankets, and tinned fish all valued at N$100000 to flood victims. According to the company’s Managing Director, Otto Shikongo, DBMN SRF focuses its efforts and investment on education, environmental awareness and child welfare.

Shikongo said they procured most of the items from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and other businesses in the northern regions thereby making a wider and holistic economic impact where it is needed most at this juncture.

“We want to play a part in changing positively the lives of the Namibian people in the long term, add value to the communities and support government efforts,” said Shikongo.

He stated that while government is doing all it can to cope with disaster in the flood-ridden areas, the rest of the nation cannot simply be spectators.

“It’s our moral obligation as corporate citizens, as we do in so many endeavours, to support government in the effort to mitigate the impact of floods on our fellow countrymen and women,” Shikongo said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of AgriBank, Leonard Iipumbu, also handed over N$100000 to the National Emergency Management Unit.

Iipumbu said the occurrence of floods is becoming a frequent phenomenon with devastating effects on the people, infrastructure and environment.

He said it is becoming increasingly important to put mechanisms in place to manage the effects of the floods more effectively.

He commented that time has now come to review the town planning of the affected regions, drainage channels, the standards for the construction of the road infrastructure.

Post disaster strategies for long-term planning and coordination of the disaster relief efforts are required to mitigate the effects of the floods before it becomes a national disaster hence the country should be prepared to adapted to climate changes, he said.

Most of the affected people depend on subsistence farming and some of them are clients of Agribank so their income and food sources have been jeopardized, he noted.

The Chairman of Kalahari Holdings, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, also handed over a cheque of N$50 000 to the relief efforts.

Mulungushi donated 100 blankets worth N$30000.

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