Renthia Kaimbi
Residents of Kuisebmond in Walvis Bay say a strong smell from nearby fishmeal factories has made daily life difficult and unpleasant for the community.
They say the odour seeps into their homes, clothes and even the classrooms where their children study.
The problem, they say, has been ongoing for years and affects schools such as Seaside, Immanuel Ruiters, Kuisebmond Primary and Kuisebmond Secondary.
Parents say learners struggle to focus because of the constant stench.
“Windows are closed in the heat just to block the stench, but even then, the air feels heavy and suffocating,” one parent told the Observer Coastal.
Inside classrooms, children reportedly cover their noses with their sleeves while teachers try to maintain concentration.
The residents stressed that the situation violates the Public and Environmental Health Act, Act 1 of 2015, which forbids any person or company from causing a health nuisance. Section 56 of the Act states that no one may cause any condition dangerous to health, while section 59 identifies any business causing offensive smells as a health nuisance.
“By this definition, what we experience every day in Kuisebmond is not just an inconvenience; it is a violation of the law,” the residents said in their complaint.
They argue that the constant fumes infringe on their constitutional right to a clean environment and their children’s right to proper education.
“How can learners focus or perform at their best when they are forced to study under the constant assault of chemical and fish odours strong enough to cause nausea and headaches?” they asked.
The community stressed that they are not against the fishing industry.
“We understand the importance of the fishing sector to Walvis Bay. But economic activity cannot come at the expense of our health, our dignity, and our children’s future,” they said.
They are calling on the Walvis Bay municipality and the Ministry of Health and Social Services to take immediate action.
Their demands include a full investigation and enforcement of the Public and Environmental Health Act to ensure fishmeal processors install effective odour control systems or move their operations away from residential areas.
“The community has spoken through petitions, through meetings, and now through this letter,” they said. “We ask for transparency, responsibility, and respect for the people who live here, because the right to breathe clean air should not be a privilege. It is a basic human right.”
When contacted for comment, Sergio Figueiredo from SeaNam, previously known as Namibia Fishmeal Processors said Namibia Fishmeal Processors has been trading under a different name since 2015 and denied that their plant was responsible for the fumes. “It’s totally impossible to be us because we’ve had a totally emissionless plant already since 2016.
We put in a new plant, so it can only be Exigrade, the other fishmeal plant in Walvis Bay. It cannot be us,” said Figueiredo.
The Windhoek Observer could not get a response from Exigrade or the Walvis Bay municipality at the time of publication.
