City given deadline for approved budget reveal
The Katutura Residents Committee has given the City of Windhoek until Tuesday to share its approved annual budget.
On Wednesday, the committee's chairperson Benestus Kandundu, during a community meeting, said it's "high time" that the Katutura residents see the budget for themselves.
Water and electricity disconnections at the hand of the City were making residents "desperate", he added.
"We are calling on the City to disclose its current approved budget to the communities - the same way that it dispenses its statements for all to know what they are working with.
“By the end of October, the residents should be able to read the budget themselves. We are going to disconnect the City of Windhoek just like they disconnected our services and essentially our livelihoods from growing," he said.
Growing concern
There has been a growing concern among Katutura residents over the last few months about the City’s use of Redforce Debt Management.
The municipality has, however, backed its decision to appoint the debt-collection company.
During the meeting, 67-year-old Ellen Johannes said her debts have skyrocketed to close to N$200 000, which she is just "not able to pay".
"We are old and have chronic medication to take daily with water that we have to collect. As the water stands week after week, it becomes more and more contaminated.
“As a result, we now suffer from severe diarrhea, but we have no choice. Many of us were left with debts by our late husbands that we try to pay off as we can, with the N$800 we get from NamPost.
They [NamPost] deduct their amounts because we often have to borrow money from them," Johannes said.
According to her, she received a notice from Redforce to settle her accounts. However, the amounts continue to increase, she said – despite the services having been disconnected.
Violating the law
Committee leader Shaun Gariseb further accused the municipality of "violating the law" by demanding payments from residents without having contracts.
"We are thinking of going to court and demanding that the City of Windhoek provide us with the contracts for the supply of water and electricity because those contracts are the pinnacle of the supply relationship between the City and any resident and will inform the residents of the terms and conditions he/she is contracted on with the City.
“If no contracts are available, which we know there are none, then the City is violating the law and its provisions upon which it relies to exercise its rights. The absence of such contracts means that the City has been acting without cause and was running astray in acting that it had the necessary authority to execute obligations it derives from the legal relationship with residents."
He added that the committee has since resorted to speaking to President Hage Geingob in hopes of resolving the matter.
On Wednesday, the committee's chairperson Benestus Kandundu, during a community meeting, said it's "high time" that the Katutura residents see the budget for themselves.
Water and electricity disconnections at the hand of the City were making residents "desperate", he added.
"We are calling on the City to disclose its current approved budget to the communities - the same way that it dispenses its statements for all to know what they are working with.
“By the end of October, the residents should be able to read the budget themselves. We are going to disconnect the City of Windhoek just like they disconnected our services and essentially our livelihoods from growing," he said.
Growing concern
There has been a growing concern among Katutura residents over the last few months about the City’s use of Redforce Debt Management.
The municipality has, however, backed its decision to appoint the debt-collection company.
During the meeting, 67-year-old Ellen Johannes said her debts have skyrocketed to close to N$200 000, which she is just "not able to pay".
"We are old and have chronic medication to take daily with water that we have to collect. As the water stands week after week, it becomes more and more contaminated.
“As a result, we now suffer from severe diarrhea, but we have no choice. Many of us were left with debts by our late husbands that we try to pay off as we can, with the N$800 we get from NamPost.
They [NamPost] deduct their amounts because we often have to borrow money from them," Johannes said.
According to her, she received a notice from Redforce to settle her accounts. However, the amounts continue to increase, she said – despite the services having been disconnected.
Violating the law
Committee leader Shaun Gariseb further accused the municipality of "violating the law" by demanding payments from residents without having contracts.
"We are thinking of going to court and demanding that the City of Windhoek provide us with the contracts for the supply of water and electricity because those contracts are the pinnacle of the supply relationship between the City and any resident and will inform the residents of the terms and conditions he/she is contracted on with the City.
“If no contracts are available, which we know there are none, then the City is violating the law and its provisions upon which it relies to exercise its rights. The absence of such contracts means that the City has been acting without cause and was running astray in acting that it had the necessary authority to execute obligations it derives from the legal relationship with residents."
He added that the committee has since resorted to speaking to President Hage Geingob in hopes of resolving the matter.
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