NEFF calls for revival of northern airstrips

The president of the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) is calling for the urgent rehabilitation of abandoned airstrips across northern Namibia, arguing that the region's dependence on a single commercial airport is inefficient, costly, and holding back tourism.

Epafras Muukwilongo has identified airstrips in Oshakati, Okongo, and Ruacana as priority sites, and said his party intends to move a formal motion in Parliament to discuss their rehabilitation.

A central argument concerns the travel logistics of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. The presidential jet and other senior state officials use the Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Airport in Ondangwa, the only fully operational commercial airport in the region.

When the president visits her home village near Okongo, she must land at Ondangwa and travel by road for approximately 180 kilometres, Muukwilongo said.

"The president and her team can just land at Okongo and then the police at Okongo can handle her protection together with her own security team," he said.

He argued that using the Okongo airstrip, originally constructed before independence, would significantly cut the costs associated with long motorcades, and noted that the strip remains in relatively good condition despite years of neglect.

Muukwilongo also raised a common frustration among northern residents: traffic jams caused by VIP convoys. When the president or senior officials are escorted from Ondangwa to distant villages, police often halt traffic to allow the convoy to pass.

"It causes unnecessary traffic," he said.

He also argued that reviving the airstrips could unlock tourism in deeper parts of the north. While many tourists fly from Windhoek to Etosha National Park, few have easy aerial access to areas such as Ruacana and Okongo. He noted that international visitors often hire private aircraft but are limited by the absence of landing and refuelling infrastructure.

"Our country is a tourist destination and we need to improve the sector in terms of infrastructure development," he said.

Muukwilongo said the government does not need to build entirely new airports. Instead, he argued, the focus should be on clearing and resurfacing existing runways, installing refuelling infrastructure, and establishing basic security and maintenance teams at each site.

"The infrastructure is already there; it was built long ago. We just need the political will to make it functional again," he said.

Muukwilongo urged the Ministry of Works and Transport to prioritise the airstrips in the coming budget cycle to stimulate the northern economy.

The NEFF holds a single seat in the National Assembly, but Muukwilongo said he was confident the issue would gain traction.