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History of Ruacana


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Ruacana was developed around a major underground hydroelectric plant linked to the nearby dam across the border in Angola at Calueque. The dam and pumping station were bombed in a Cuban airstrike in 1988, during the Angolan Civil War. The facility was partially repaired and today NamPower operates three turbines producing a maximum of 240 megawatts.

In 1988, the settlement consisted of only 17 households of which 14 belonged to soldiers of the South African Defence Force while the remaining 3 were for SWAWEK (Suidwes-Afrikaanse Water en Krag, Afrikaans: South-West African Water and Power) families. Ruacana's settlement status was upgraded to that of a village in 2005, and to town in 2010.

The place normally receives an annual average rainfall of 426 millimetres (16.8 in), although in the 2010/2011 rainy season 960 millimetres (38 in) were measured.

The 600 hectares (1,500 acres) farm Etunda is situated near Ruacana. It is run as a government supported irrigation scheme and has been established in 1993. Half of the farm is commercial irrigation land, the other half is allocated to 82 small-scale farmers. Etunda cultivates maize, wheat, watermelons, bananas, and other produce
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