Renthia Kaimbi
Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa has defended the nationwide rollout of prepaid water meters. He said the move is necessary as local authorities owe NamWater about N$3.5 billion.
Sankwasa told the Windhoek Observer that he fully supports local authorities installing prepaid meters as part of efforts to settle the growing water debt.
His comments follow rising anger in Henties Bay, where the compulsory installation of 3 500 prepaid meters has triggered protests.
“Any local authority that goes to put water meters now has my full support. Because we have to pay the N$3.5 billion debt to NamWater,” he said.
NamWater announced in March this year that it was owed N$2.4 billion by local authorities, municipalities, town councils, individuals, village councils, and rural water communities.
This reflected a 16% increase from the N$2.1 billion recorded in June 2024. At the time, local authorities accounted for the largest share of the debt, owing N$889 million in total.
Among them, the Rundu Town Council topped the list with an outstanding balance of N$333.9 million, followed by the Rehoboth Town Council, which owed N$108.4 million.
Sankwasa explained that the move is part of a government and cabinet decision to address the country’s escalating water debt.
“We are trying to address an abnormal situation here and we want to normalise it. There is nothing amiss with Henties Bay installing prepaid water meters or any other local authority. In fact, those that are not installing prepaid meters are violating a cabinet decision, because the water bill keeps escalating with NamWater,” said Sankwasa.
Documents show the Henties Bay project costs N$26.9 million, covering the supply and installation of the meters, including system setup and testing.
The ministry has already paid N$15 million to the supplier, ITEM Engineering, a company managed by Cenored chief executive officer Fessor Mbango.
The municipality must pay the remaining N$11.9 million by the end of the 2026/2027 financial year.
In a letter to the council in June 2025, Sankwasa acknowledged the financial strain on the municipality but urged it to “strive to avail the remaining balance”, adding that the ministry would “try to make additional budgetary provisions”.
The rollout has met strong resistance from residents, who argue that the prepaid system raises water costs and exposes them to sudden disconnections, especially after business hours.
Residents also claim there was no proper public consultation before the installation began. Some community members have calculated that prepaid users may now pay more per cubic litre.
The Henties Bay Council, however, defended the project, saying it is necessary to settle its N$10 million debt to NamWater and curb water theft.
The municipality said prepaid meters ensure residents pay immediately for water used and can better manage their consumption.
Henties Bay chief executive officer Ignasia Neis said the council plans to hold a follow-up meeting with residents, acknowledging that the earlier public notice did not attract enough engagement.
