Stefanus Nashama
Paulus Shimooshili, a member of the Affirmative Repositioning (AR), accused the Okahandja Town Council of mismanaging funds and neglecting essential services.
He highlighted the non-functional state of public toilet facilities as a glaring example of the municipality’s failure to address basic needs.
The accusations stem from the state of public toilet facilities in the municipality, which have reportedly been out of service for over three years.
The facilities were built to serve the public when visiting the municipality for services.
“These toilets have remained non-functional despite repeated complaints,” Shimooshili said.
Shimooshili said he found out that the toilets were still not functioning during a visit to the town council on Monday to collect his proof of residence.
He described the situation as “worse.”
“Those toilets have been out of use for about three to five years now. The residents have no place to relieve themselves when they come to access services at the municipality,” he added.
Shimooshili claimed that the mayor, Beatrice Kotungondo told him the municipality would investigate the issue when he approached her for answers.
He criticised the Council for prioritising cosmetic projects, such as the installation of expensive interlocking bricks in parking areas, while neglecting essential services like public toilet repairs.
“Why are we electing people to office if they cannot work towards the daily needs of the people?” he asked.
He also questioned the municipality’s governance methods, noting that while residents continue to pay for services, public facilities remain in disrepair.
Mayor Kotungondo said the public toilets are in good working condition.
“We had a swearing-in ceremony yesterday, but all the toilets were in good condition,” she said.
However, she acknowledged receiving a video from Shimooshili showing a non-functional toilet but said she could not confirm its location or context.
Kotungondo clarified that the municipality has only two public toilets, shared by staff and the public, and insisted they are operational. She described the matter as primarily an administrative issue and referred enquiries to the municipality’s CEO or public relations officer.
“Let me send you the CEO or PRO’s number. Maybe they will know,” she said.
Addressing Shimooshili’s concerns about service delays, Kotungondo dismissed allegations of long queues at the municipality.
“You can go there tomorrow and you won’t find a long queue of people looking for services,” he said.
Okahandja Town Council chief executive officer, Alphons Tjitombo could not be reached for comments at the time of publication.
