President demands 'decent' toilets for all

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called for sanitation to become a national priority, directing government to ensure access to "decent and adequate toilet facilities" in both urban and rural areas across Namibia.

Speaking at the relaunch of the national Clean-Up Namibia Campaign on Saturday at the Okapale soccer field in Samora Machel constituency, the president, whose speech was ready by Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare on her behalf, said sanitation must reach every corner of the country.

"The clarion call, therefore, is sanitation for every Namibian in all our local authorities, our schools, clinics, and villages," she said.

The president said that under government's disaster-risk management framework, she had directed the prime minister to prioritise access to sanitation and housing, describing the two as interlinked.

Nandi-Ndaitwah also warned that poor waste management is drawing baboons and other animals into human settlements, turning discarded food and litter into a public health, safety and sanitation concern. She specifically pointed to areas including Goreangab and Havana, where baboons have increasingly been seen around human settlements.

"When waste is carelessly discarded or food waste is left exposed, it can attract baboons and other animals," she said, adding that the situation demonstrates how poor waste management creates problems that extend "beyond litter and untidy surroundings".

"Baboons may appear harmless when seen from a distance, but when they become accustomed to human settlements and begin searching for food among households and public spaces, they can become a serious nuisance and, in some circumstances, a danger to society," she warned.

She singled out children, older persons and other vulnerable community members as being particularly at risk.

Everyone has a role to play

Her remarks effectively broadened the national clean-up from a drive against littering into a wider push around sanitation, public health, dignity and service delivery.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said poor waste management creates conditions for waste-borne diseases, contaminates surroundings and water sources, attracts pests and animals, and places additional pressure on municipalities and public health systems.

She also warned that irresponsible waste disposal threatens livestock, biodiversity, tourism and the attractiveness of Namibia's towns and cities.

Windhoek’s former reputation as one of Africa’s cleanest cities was also invoked as a warning. Nandi-Ndaitwah noted that increasing littering, illegal dumping, plastic pollution and poor waste management contributed to Windhoek losing its position as Africa’s cleanest city to Kigali, Rwanda, in 2016. She said the loss should be regarded as a “wake-up call”.

Moreover, Nandi-Ndaitwah said legislation and municipal services alone would not solve Namibia’s waste problem. “We need a change in behaviour,” she said.

She urged Namibians to reduce, reuse and recycle, while calling on businesses, schools, municipalities and communities to take responsibility for the waste they generate.

The president also challenged young Namibians to stop viewing waste simply as something to throw away, urging innovators and entrepreneurs to find economic value in discarded plastic, glass, paper, metals and organic waste. She highlighted Windhoek’s waste buy-back centre as an example of how rubbish can be turned into an economic opportunity.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said the country must make cleanliness a habit rather than an event. “Let us keep our streets clean so that baboons and other wildlife are not attracted into our neighbourhoods in search of food,” she said.