Olupale, Cubango, Aug 24, 2026 (Angola Press Agency/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
Water scarcity in Olupale, a village in Savate Municipality, Cubango Province, is forcing local residents to share water from traditional wells with livestock and draught animals.
This situation has become a public health and survival challenge for the 6,670 residents of Olupale, located near the border with the Republic of Namibia, more than 540 kilometres from Menongue, the capital of Cubango Province.
Olupale, which translates from Oshikwanyama into Portuguese as "main hall", faces a lack of roads and the absence of electricity, making it difficult for water tankers to reach the area and for water supply systems to be installed.
Resident Jose Granito Sliplene, 32, explained that the population draws water from deep wells ranging between 17 and 20 metres in depth, a process that requires collective effort because of the weight of the hand-operated mechanism used to lift the water.
"It is impossible for one person to draw water alone. We always need assistance. In addition, the same well is used every day by cattle, goats, horses and donkeys," he said.
Although he considers the water not to be saline, Jose Granito acknowledged that consuming it without any treatment has caused health problems among residents, highlighting frequent cases of diarrhoea, stomach pain, coughs and influenza.
He explained that the locality's water supply system has been out of operation for more than three years, leaving communities dependent on traditional wells.
Faced with this situation, he urged the authorities to restore the existing infrastructure and install new boreholes, noting that some equipment remains on site but is no longer functioning.
Commenting on the current situation, Olupale traditional leader Ernesto Cambinda confirmed that the lack of water is one of the greatest challenges facing the local population and that alternative wells are between 17 and 20 metres deep, making it difficult to supply both households and animals.
The traditional authority appealed to the Provincial Government and development partners to drill additional boreholes, rehabilitate the former water system that has been inactive for three years, construct watering points for livestock and activate the INFRASAT telecommunications network.
"Olupale is part of the Lands of Progress, but without water there is no development, and without schools there is no future," the traditional leader said.
For livestock farmers, cattle are a source of livelihood, but for families, water is essential for life, and both depend on the same source.
Public administration expansion
Cubango Governor Jose Martins reiterated plans to transform Olupale into a Border Town, but stressed that this will require the establishment of public administration services.
According to the governor, who met with members of the community, Olupale needs a range of measures aimed at strengthening the presence of public administration and public security services, while also promoting local development.
Regarding water supply, Jose Martins explained that the system installed more than three years ago and financed by oil company Chevron as part of its social responsibility programme ceased operating because of a failure in the pumping equipment, compounded by the low groundwater levels characteristic of the region.
Despite the challenges, he said Savate Municipal Administration has already included the rehabilitation of the water system in the Integrated Local Development and Poverty Reduction Programme (PIDLCP) and expressed confidence that the intervention will be completed during the current quarter.
In the social sector, Jose Martins acknowledged that improvements in healthcare, education, road access, electricity supply, communications expansion and the strengthening of the education system are top priorities for Olupale.
According to available records, the locality of Olupale, which shares a land border with the Republic of Namibia, is believed to have received its name because it served as a central meeting point for livestock farmers from both countries, an area known for its abundant grazing land.
COMTEX_491360206/2029/2026-08-24T15:32:12
by Luis Catraio, Angop Journalist
Copyright 2026 Angola Press Agency. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
