Katutura residents drowning in water bills

Local business owner Philadelphia Olifant (39) says when the City of Windhoek cut her water and electricity close to four months ago, her life took a turn for the worse.

Olifant, who owned a fast food takeaway in Katutura, said she has since been forced to take alternative measures to provide for her family.

"I had to pawn some of my equipment just to be able to feed my family because I am the breadwinner. I also employed two women through my business and had to let them go," she told Namibian Sun during a visit to her now closed-down business.

Olifant narrated that in December 2022, she realised that her neighbours were using her water after having "bypassed" it. According to her, she didn't notice until her bill kept increasing.

"After I saw this was happening, I went to the City with N$5 000 as a means to start repaying the now gigantic debt.

“The person who helped me looked me dead in the eye and told me that they would not take my money unless I added another N$5 000.”

“This has not only affected my livelihood, but has had a tremendous negative effect on my mental health because there's nothing I can do without water and electricity to feed my family," she told Namibian Sun through tears.

Residents up in arms

Katutura residents held a press conference yesterday to address the City’s response to a petition the group delivered on 19 July, highlighting the frustrations of residents, including pensioners, over high water and electricity debt.

"From the onset, we told the City that we do not seek dispensation when it comes to our municipal obligations. We want to pay that. But writing off pensioner debts only is a ‘spaza’ move and is not sustainable. We gave proposals as to how we think debts must be written off so that the City generates revenue while delivering service,” Shaun Gariseb, a member of the aggrieved group, said.

“We took cognisance of the precarious position the City finds itself in and don't buy these things of writing off pensioner debts. This is a single-solution approach and has failed, for it is just to create a smokescreen about the situation."

According to Gariseb, initial recommendations asked for the full write-off of pensioners and vulnerable people’s uncollectable debts. Furthermore, a 75% write-off for businesses and other groups with special circumstances was proposed.

"Arrangements by way of deductions when paying water or electricity prepaid will help because one can come to [the City’s] offices and arrange to have 25% deducted every time they buy water or electricity, and some can make arrangements to pay off that 25% in installments or ways that best suit their financial circumstances," residents urged.

Be patient

The municipality last week asked Katutura residents to be patient while it works on a solution.

"The City is currently working on a proposal to write off debt for pensioners and interest for all residents. However, this process must be executed cautiously to ensure long-term sustainability,” deputy mayor Magdalena Lombardt said.

“For pensioners' payment arrangements, a principal decision was taken to charge only a 15% down payment, instead of the 33.33% requirement as per the City's credit control policy.

“We are concerned about residents who are not pensioners who use situations such as this to petition and rally support whilst having arrears themselves, and who shy away from their obligations to pay for their consumption. Therefore, such cases - including repeated re-connections of defaulters' services - will be thoroughly investigated and addressed,” she stressed.