Till two weeks ago the North has received steady rain and water coming from Angola since the beginning of the rainy season a couple of months ago. The outcome had even been worse than the flooding from 2008, officials are speaking of the ‘heaviest floods ever recorded’: thousands of people had to be evacuated and a great deal of everyday life came to a stop in the Region during the last month. Most of the schools closed down as it had become too dangerous for the learners to walk to the schools. Against all wisdom some decided not. Two weeks ago a NDF (Namibian defense force) boat bringing learners over a river capsized in the Oshikoto Region – one learner and a soldier drowned. Just the tip of the iceberg: dozens of people drown every rainy season as just a few are able to swim. Hard to believe when you see the dust-dry Northern landscape in a few months.
When the water level reached it’s high Adrian from VSO and I went to the main bridge between Oshakati and Ongwediva to watch the crowd. Have a look at the stunning pictures he took. Some of them had been published in the Namibian.
