Otjozondjupa settlements ‘milk’ those doing better

Some settlements in Otjozondjupa that perform better than others are effectively subsidising those that struggle to generate sufficient revenue, creating pressure on the council’s ability to provide services across the region.

Speaking to Namibian Sun this week, newly elected regional council chairperson Paulus Nekundi said some of the region’s nine settlements were generating enough revenue to contribute to the regional council, while others were not financially productive.

“Some settlements are milking the regional council,” Nekundi said.

Nekundi singled out the council’s water account with NamWater as an example, saying the regional council has one account covering the settlements.

“When NamWater cuts water, [they] don't look at who is doing well, [they] just cut water for everyone,” he said.

His comments come after Otjozondjupa governor John ||Khamuseb reported in June that water supplies had been disconnected at eight of the region’s nine settlements: Kalkfeld, Coblenz, Okondjatu, Okandjira, Okamatapati, Okatjoruu, Gam and Tsumkwe.

Kombat was the only settlement spared. The governor attributed the disconnections to unpaid municipal accounts, water and electricity wastage and poor maintenance.

Nekundi said the council’s long-term objective is therefore to make settlements financially self-sustaining by upgrading them to local-authority status.

Kalkfeld has been identified as the first priority, followed by Tsumkwe.

Nekundi said the process would not happen overnight and could take three to four years because it requires funding for land surveying and other infrastructure.

Laying the groundwork

Kalkfeld was previously a village council but was downgraded to settlement status. Nekundi said the council is now addressing sanitation, water infrastructure and roads as part of efforts to prepare it for the upgrade.

The settlement has also seen several recent infrastructure and housing investments. In 2023, about N$2 million was spent connecting Shack Dwellers Federation houses in Kalkfeld to the electricity grid, while the regional council has since allocated N$1.5 million for water reticulation to the same development.

In 2025, the National Housing Enterprise launched a project for 93 affordable homes in Kalkfeld, with the rural development ministry allocating N$5.3 million for bulk services for the housing development.

The ongoing development includes water, electricity, sewerage and roads, with the council also budgeting for gravel roads this year.

Nekundi said such investments are necessary to create “buying power” in Kalkfeld and build the economic base required for the settlement to eventually sustain its own administration.

Tsumkwe, meanwhile, is the council’s second priority for a possible upgrade. It has also received investment in water and waste-management infrastructure, while government development plans include an off-grid electricity upgrade covering Tsumkwe and Gam.

Nekundi said the council had already approved the Kalkfeld upgrade, but finances would determine how quickly it could proceed to Tsumkwe.

He said the objective was ultimately to have settlements generate enough revenue to sustain their own services rather than relying on a regional pool.

“We want them to become a council so that they are self-sustainable,” he said.

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