Windhoek (cr) - The National Youth Service (NYS) has deployed 40 trainees from the 16th intake as part of the second phase of the voluntary service programme to support the removal of illegal fences in the Okongo Constituency in the Ohangwena Region. The operation began on 17 February in Okambali village.

The initiative forms part of ongoing NYS efforts to support government programmes aimed at lawful land administration, the protection of communal land rights, and the strengthening of local development initiatives. It is being carried out as part of a nationwide campaign led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform in cooperation with the Ohangwena Communal Land Board. A total of 22 unauthorised fences are expected to be dismantled. Chairperson Wilhelmina Shakela attended the launch and stressed the importance of lawful procedures in land allocation.

The practical deployment is a component of national service training, during which trainees move into community based projects that directly support national development and the protection of communal land rights. The project is also set to be implemented in the Omusati Region, while another group of trainees is currently deployed in Kavango West.