Sewage leak threatens Kavango River communities
Downstream communities at risk
Urban and rural development minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa has raised alarm over a damaged sewage and stormwater system in Rundu's Tutungeni location, warning that contamination flowing into the Kavango River poses a serious public health threat to rural communities that depend directly on the river for drinking water.
During an inspection of eroded access roads in the area last Thursday, Sankwasa said untreated run-off and sewage were being channelled into the river due to collapsed land and failing underground infrastructure, creating what he described as a “ripple effect of a health situation” beyond Rundu’s urban boundaries.
“People in town may have access to purified water, but those in surrounding villages fetch water directly from the river,” Sankwasa said. “If that water is contaminated here, the impact spreads downstream to communities that have no alternative.”
The minister said the damaged section, which was previously a road, now requires a full landfill, proper compaction and the installation of large underground pipes to safely divert water into the river at the correct level. He warned against temporary fixes, criticising proposals to refill eroded areas with sand, which he said would only worsen the problem.
“Sand is what is being washed away. Replacing sand with sand does not solve anything,” he said.
He stressed that durable materials such as gravel must be used and compacted properly, with pipes installed underground rather than on the surface to prevent further erosion.
Boost systems
Sankwasa further pointed to uncontrolled stormwater flowing along streets as the primary cause of the erosion, saying road runoff must be channelled into a single controlled system. He said repairs to the damaged land and control of water flow from the streets must be carried out simultaneously to prevent recurring damage.
Sankwasa blasted the town council for what he described as a slow and inadequate response to the deteriorating situation, stressing that the matter falls squarely under the authority of the town council and its management, and not the responsibility of the regional governor. He said the failure to act decisively had allowed the problem to escalate into an emergency.
He directed the town council to urgently obtain at least three comprehensive quotations and apply for a direct procurement exemption through the finance ministry.
Sankwasa cautioned against under-quoting by contractors, insisting that quotations must account for the full scope of work, including street-level water control and drainage to the river.
Overcome hurdles
When confronted by the minister on the deteriorating state of the town’s roads and drainage systems, Rundu Town Council CEO Olavi Natanael said the council has resurfaced large sections of Garbige Road but acknowledged that financial constraints have limited the scale of improvements across the town.
Natanael said engineering reports indicate that the municipality will need to redo most sections of the streets in order to properly reroute sewage systems and effectively channel rainwater.
“The current state of the roads does not allow us to channel water properly,” he said.
Sankwasa further urged the town council to address the infrastructure challenges in clearly defined phases, starting with the most critical sections posing immediate health and safety risks. He further instructed the council to employ graduate vocational training centre (VTC) technicians and unemployed local youth to assist with unblocking clogged drains, instead of outsourcing the work to private contractors at high profit-driven rates.
“I want to be clear that the town council should source these jobs to locals. We can’t have companies benefiting while we have competent unemployed youth capable of doing this work,” the minister said.
For now, Sankwasa said the focus must remain on the most severely affected sections, where erosion has already placed nearby houses at risk of collapse, while other areas can be addressed later under normal management processes.
During an inspection of eroded access roads in the area last Thursday, Sankwasa said untreated run-off and sewage were being channelled into the river due to collapsed land and failing underground infrastructure, creating what he described as a “ripple effect of a health situation” beyond Rundu’s urban boundaries.
“People in town may have access to purified water, but those in surrounding villages fetch water directly from the river,” Sankwasa said. “If that water is contaminated here, the impact spreads downstream to communities that have no alternative.”
The minister said the damaged section, which was previously a road, now requires a full landfill, proper compaction and the installation of large underground pipes to safely divert water into the river at the correct level. He warned against temporary fixes, criticising proposals to refill eroded areas with sand, which he said would only worsen the problem.
“Sand is what is being washed away. Replacing sand with sand does not solve anything,” he said.
He stressed that durable materials such as gravel must be used and compacted properly, with pipes installed underground rather than on the surface to prevent further erosion.
Boost systems
Sankwasa further pointed to uncontrolled stormwater flowing along streets as the primary cause of the erosion, saying road runoff must be channelled into a single controlled system. He said repairs to the damaged land and control of water flow from the streets must be carried out simultaneously to prevent recurring damage.
Sankwasa blasted the town council for what he described as a slow and inadequate response to the deteriorating situation, stressing that the matter falls squarely under the authority of the town council and its management, and not the responsibility of the regional governor. He said the failure to act decisively had allowed the problem to escalate into an emergency.
He directed the town council to urgently obtain at least three comprehensive quotations and apply for a direct procurement exemption through the finance ministry.
Sankwasa cautioned against under-quoting by contractors, insisting that quotations must account for the full scope of work, including street-level water control and drainage to the river.
Overcome hurdles
When confronted by the minister on the deteriorating state of the town’s roads and drainage systems, Rundu Town Council CEO Olavi Natanael said the council has resurfaced large sections of Garbige Road but acknowledged that financial constraints have limited the scale of improvements across the town.
Natanael said engineering reports indicate that the municipality will need to redo most sections of the streets in order to properly reroute sewage systems and effectively channel rainwater.
“The current state of the roads does not allow us to channel water properly,” he said.
Sankwasa further urged the town council to address the infrastructure challenges in clearly defined phases, starting with the most critical sections posing immediate health and safety risks. He further instructed the council to employ graduate vocational training centre (VTC) technicians and unemployed local youth to assist with unblocking clogged drains, instead of outsourcing the work to private contractors at high profit-driven rates.
“I want to be clear that the town council should source these jobs to locals. We can’t have companies benefiting while we have competent unemployed youth capable of doing this work,” the minister said.
For now, Sankwasa said the focus must remain on the most severely affected sections, where erosion has already placed nearby houses at risk of collapse, while other areas can be addressed later under normal management processes.
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