Roads

In order to stimulate the region’s primary, secondary and especially the tourism sectors, District Roads such as D3501, D3502, D3507, D3508, D3510, and 3512 be upgraded to all-weather gravel district roads. Main road MR125 has been identified for upgrading to a bitumen surface in the long term. The current vehicle volume using the road has increased necessitating the tarring within the plan period. The proposed gravel district roads will link the important growth points with the existing tarred main and trunk roads.

Energy

The energy sector in the Zambezi Region is different in the sense that it is connected to the grid electricity network from Zambia. The energy sector can be characterized as totally underdeveloped with only approximately 30% of the region’s inhabitants having access to electricity in relation to the national average of 79% (2011).

Electricity to the region is supplied to Katima Mulilo from Zambia via a grid network, with a small grid branching into the region. The supply has been reliable and booming economic development on a large scale. A diesel off-grid generator in Katima Mulilo being used as backup power also supplies electricity. Villages and settlements within the region are supplied from Katima Mulilo. The rest of the flood plain and Sangwali areas has no access to electricity provided in the form of a grid network.

The Rural Electrification programme entails an ongoing process of identifying and implementing sub projects covering the rural areas of the region. This program concentrates on the extension of the existing grid network as well as upgrading there-off to new localities and provision of off-grid systems justified according to the importance of the locality, determined by existing health and educational facilities, as well as business and institutions functioning without electricity.

Water

A large number of rural settlements are currently further away from existing water points than the MAWF expected minimum of 2.5km. The sub-surface water within the interior of the Zambezi Region is not suitable for human consumption due to its salinity. Therefore, the provision of bulk water pipelines to the rural settlements is a priority for the upgrading of the water sector infrastructure. Construction of those pipelines is currently underway and is anticipated to cover most parts of the region by 2018.

Sanitation

Sanitation is the measures taken to improve and promote proper disposal of human wastes, proper use of toilets and avoiding open defecation. The provision of proper sanitation has been a major development goal for the Government of Namibia since independence.

The Ministry of Agriculture Water and Forestry (MAWF) is the leading institution in ensuring that sanitation is improved country wide. The MAWF through its Directorate of Rural Water Supply plays an important role in ensuring the provision of clean water in rural areas. The Directorate is also responsible for the provision of toilet facilities in rural areas.

Ensuring adequate sanitation facilities is one of the programmes of the Division of Rural Services in Zambezi Regional Council. The toilet facilities that are being distributed in the region have been targeting households and public institutions such as schools. These toilets are not shared by residents of a village but are only used by a household. Therefore, a household is classified as having an improved toilet if the toilet is used only by members of one household (i.e., it is not shared) and if the facility used by the household separates the waste from human contact.

However, in the Zambezi region there still a large number of households that still don’t have access to proper sanitation. For instance, in 2007 according to the Demographic Health Survey, 91.8 % of households in the region had non improved sanitation facilities. In 2010 the majority (86%) of households did not have toilet facilities and used the bush, while only 12.2 % were using improved toilet facilities such as flushing toilets (NHIES 2009/10).

In light of the above, the Zambezi Regional Council has been financially supported by the MRLGHRD with funds to implement its rural sanitation programme. In 2009 the Zambezi region received an amount of N$20million to procure 1,250 VIP toilets. This process continues every year even though the amount has eventually reduced. In 2012 and 2014 350 and 200 VIP toilets were procured respectively. The MAWF has come up with a sanitation programme also to support households targeting a single village and this programme has commenced at Muyako village in Katima Rural Constituency.

The provision of improved sanitation facilities comes with challenges, for example, the procurement of these toilet facilities is not been accompanied by technical capacity to educate beneficiaries regarding the use of these facilities. As a result, a substantial number of these toilet facilities are not used particularly by the elderly besides being prime beneficiaries. There are negative attitudes developed against sanitation facilities that are not water borne in the region. The challenges to toilet usage in the region by certain individuals range from traditional cultural attitudes, availability and cost of water and community mobilization. Traditional attitudes are shaped by culture and colonial behavior. In many cultural villages a call of nature is strictly a private matter. When nature calls a person has to disappear quietly into the bush. It is difficult in many instances to convince a person to enter a toilet in full view of other people.

Improved sanitation gives people dignity. Dignified sanitation improves hygiene and the health of communities. Provision of improved sanitation will enhance our country's commitment to the United Nations Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights. Together we shall make progress in providing services to all our people.

Telecommunication

The region is fairly covered with the cellphone network, it is reported that MTC has coverage of 80% in the region with the remaining 20% to be completed in the near future. To date the company has 22 cellphone base stations region wide with few pockets of areas without signals. NBC signal has been an area of concern, mostly to areas that are over 100 km from Katima Mulilo where the radio signal becomes very weak or poor.