Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Agriculture, water and land reform minister Inge Zaamwani has warned that the continued failure to pay for water services poses a serious risk to the sustainability of Namibia’s water infrastructure.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of the N$743 million Oshakati Water Treatment Plant extension on Thursday Zaamwani said the country’s main bulk water supplier, NamWater, operates on a cost-recovery basis and cannot sustain services if users do not pay.
“Water infrastructure is not sustainable without payment for the water we use.While we understand the economic hardships that some households face, I must urge our people to prioritise payment of water bills. When we do not pay, we cannot maintain our water supply infrastructure,” she said.
She urged the residents to protect the facility and avoid vandalism, stressing that water theft, illegal connections, and infrastructure sabotage are crimes against the people.
“Water theft, illegal connections, and infrastructure sabotage are crimes against the people,” she said.
The initiative is being implemented by NamWater through a loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB), with a total investment of N$743 million.
Zaamwani said once completed, the plant will serve tens of thousands of residents, farms, businesses, and public institutions.
It will enable a reliable water supply to the Oshana, Ohangwena, and Oshikoto regions, support food production through backyard gardens, and create jobs for local contractors and workers, especially youth and women.
She said it will also reduce dependency on groundwater and improve water quality.
“Let us remember, water is the catalyst for all sectors—education, health, energy, tourism, and mining. This project is not just a water intervention; it is an investment in the entire value chain of our development. This project embodies our policy direction of integrated water resources management,” she said.
NamWater chief executive officer Abraham Nehemia said nine companies bid for the project, including two Namibian and seven international firms. He said China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd was awarded the contract as the lowest evaluated, substantially responsive bidder.
Construction is expected to take 26 months.
Nehemia said the contract includes provisions to ensure local content, subcontracting to Namibian SMEs, and skills transfer as part of the contract management plan.
“We remain resolute in ensuring that Namibian enterprises benefit from this national investment. We are guided by government instruments such as the Code of Good Practice on Procurement Preference and remain fully committed to empowerment, job creation, and value addition,” he said.
Oshana governor Hofni Iipinge said residents face daily challenges in accessing reliable and safe drinking water.
“Whether it is the clinics struggling to operate without water pressure, schools with limited sanitation, farmers whose crops wither under the sun, or households making it with too little—the water challenge is real, and the required intervention is urgent,” he said.
Once completed, the expanded plant will increase water treatment capacity by 50,000 cubic metres per day, bringing total output to 90,000 cubic metres per day.
Iipinge said the region stands in full support of the initiative and will continue supporting the implementation team.
Oshakati mayor Leonard Hango said the project is not only about infrastructure.
“The expansion of this water treatment plant is not just about engineering; it is about dignity. It is about access to a basic human right: clean, safe, and reliable water. Every household that struggles to fill a container, every small business that hesitates to expand, and every farmer who prays for the rain – they are the true beneficiaries of this investment. And for us in Oshakati, the significance is even deeper,” he said.
