Mmvula

Okaku constituency

Okaku constituency is an electoral constituency in the Oshana region of Namibia. It has 29 530 inhabitants. It borders with Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions, it is also known as the second biggest constituency in terms of the population after Ondangwa constituency.

Background

Okaku falls under the Ondonga Traditional Authority. Its first councilor is Honorable Henock ya Kasita who served the constituency from the independence till 2010. Ya Kasita followed by Honorable Joseph Kapya Endjala who was the head of Cosdec centre in Ondangwa. It is know by many, due to the church which was stormed by South African colonialist during the apartheid era.

Daily life

The constituency has more than 10 villages with average of 4 people per homestead. Its homesteads are made of tree poles, bricks and hut roof made from the grass. But because policies and procedures are now in place in terms of protecting nature, many people are no longer using the same system to build their house with roof made with grass. But they are now using sheet metals and bricks made out cement and not with sand as it use to be. Okaku residents are depending more on farming. They cultivate their fiels to get food such as millets, beans, melons, sorghum, nuts and many for survival and sometimes they sold their surplus. Their daily foods are porridge (Oshithima) while they also survive in their traditional drink (ontaku). Although some residents spend their time at cuca shops, many of them spend their time with their families and take care of their children’ school work. Most of the residents are young people followed by elderly before children.

Education

Okaku has more than 5 primary schools such as Otala Combined, Nengushe Primary, Ontinda Primary and others. Its pre-primary are more than 6 such as Pendapala pre-permary, Kambonde Penduka pre- primary just to mention but a few. Okaku has a lot of educated resident raging from teachers, learners, driver, and pastors and so on.

Development

Okaku has 4 ELCIN parishes and one Catholic parish. It has one clinic named after the constituency. Most of the infrastructure in Okaku has electricity through the Mines and Energy ministry of rural electrification programme. A lot of people have Cuca Shops where they earned income for their survival and provide basic need to the surrounding people such as bread, sugar and tea. Water is also not an issue in Okaku constituency. Despite the main road between Oshakati and Ondangwa and the main road between Ondangwa and Oshikango most of the roads in the constituency are gravel. The communication network is also available in the area. Residents do their shopping in Ondangwa and Oshakati. As one of the constituencies in the flood prone area, Okaku suffered by the flood during rainy season. The road between Ondangwa and the t-juction on the way to Oshakati was under flood water in 2009. A lot of school cannot be reached during the rainy season.

References

1. Shivute , O (2009, February 27) Okaku prone to flood. The Namibian, P. 6

2. W,J Mbangula (2011) Okaku hungry for development. New Era P.2

--Mmvula (Okaku Constituency) 18:02, 8 October 2012 (UTC)