Africa-Press – Namibia. The settlement of Kombat between Otavi and Grootfontein in the Otjozondjupa region now has a local authority office.
Kombat’s settlement office was officially opened by the minister of urban and rural development, Erastus Uutoni, on Thursday.
Kombat was proclaimed a settlement in 2006, but was bought by private investors in 2015, in a development that is claimed to have made it difficult for the government to provide basic services and advance the needs of people living at Kombat.
Over the years the Kombat community has also complained about poor living conditions and high rental costs.
Uutoni said with the resumption of mining activities at Kombat, there was a need to provide adequate basic services such as water, electricity, housing, safe refuse removal and sewerage reticulation services.
“Currently Kombat has a community of about one thousand inhabitants, mostly former and current mineworkers. But there are also investors coming and people from neighbouring farms who will form part of this community. So I urge you to look to improve your sewer reticulation networks and provide more oxidation ponds,” said Uutoni.
He urged the Otjozondjupa Regional Council to enter into partnership with the mine to obtain water at a lower cost, to not charge local residents exorbitant prices and to give the settlement an opportunity to develop.
He said Kombat had the potential to become a town through greater investment, and that efforts should be made to create an enabling environment that would provide for the needs of the community and investors.
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