Africa-Press – Namibia. HAVANA resident Steven Shivute (34) says the City of Windhoek’s reintroduction of prepaid water is not a good idea because Covid-19 is not over yet and some people may not be able to afford to pay upfront to maintain effective sanitation.
He was responding to a recent announcement by the municipality that it would no longer provide free water to residents in informal settlements. The municipality announced that they had begun the process of ending the supply of free water to the informal settlements, and that prepaid water will be reinstated.
Residents will be required to use water tokens to get water, as was previously done. Those who have lost their water tokens are advised to buy new ones from their nearest municipal offices.
The supply of free water has racked up a bill of N$90 million, which the municipality owes to NamWater. By January, the ministry had paid N$12 million towards the provision of free water since April 2020.
“We don’t have a choice but to pay,” says Havana resident Ngunga Kapolo (29).
“We appreciated the free water but now we have to make an effort and prepare to start buying the pre-paid water again.”
Matheus Paulus (50) has been living in Havana with his partner and five children for two decades. “I have been unemployed for a very long time, seeking for a job but cannot find one.” Rebecca Lukas (36) believes the municipality should have given them more time to adapt.
“We are grateful that free water was granted to us, however, they should at least give us a year ahead so that we are well prepared financially to pay for the water. Some of us don’t have water tokens any more, since we lost them because we have not been using them for such a long time. To renew will cost N$300,” she stressed.
School pupil Monica Mupopiwa (18) is concerned that the end of free water will mean more hardship for her family, after her mother lost her job during the Covid-19 outbreak. Efforts to get comment from the constituency councillor proved futile at the time of going to print.
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