Stefanus Nashama
The City of Windhoek has urged its residents to prioritize paying for water and electricity and other city services, in order for the Municipality to continue delivering the services required in the informal settlements in the City.
The City of Windhoek Mayor, Joseph Uapingene, made these remarks yesterday in an interview with the Windhoek Observer.
Uapingene said all the services required to improve informal settlements need money, and they should be budgeted for because of the limited resources every year.
“Our informal settlements are increasing daily, making it difficult for the Municipality to control communities and deliver services on time. Windhoek residents should raise awareness among each other to pay for electricity, water, and other services offered by the Municipality and City Police so that the Municipality can generate sufficient revenue to provide services to informal settlements,” Uapingene added.
He also urged Windhoek residents to report illegal activities such as the illegal connection of electricity in shacks.
“Illegal electricity connections are a big loss to the City Council and negatively affect the Municipality’s ability to mobilise funds for such services,” he said.
Uapingene said this in response to the proposals submitted by Samora Machel Constituency Councillor Nestor Kalola, who earlier this year told the Windhoek Observer that he and other Councillors have noted the pleas of the residents and submitted proposals of what services are needed in communities.
Kalola stressed that they are yet to receive a response from the Municipality.
Kalola also directed this publication to the City of Windhoek as the custodian of service delivery, to pronounce itself where it stands in addressing the issues of water point expansion, electricity, better sanitary services such as toilets and constructing gravel roads in the informal settlements in the Capital.
“The Mayor said that services like the road construction from the new Ongos location to the Goreangab informal settlement are also in the budget which depends on revenue,” he said.
According to Kalola, preparations for road construction are already in the pipeline.
He stressed that the City of Windhoek pays Nampower and Namwater for services every month, but at the end of the day, it makes a loss.
“I do not have the budget with me now, but I can tell that we need funds to deliver on our mandate,” he said.
