Omusati villages’ taps dry for five years

Villagers at Oluvango and parts of neighbouring villages in the Omusati Region’s Anamulenge constituency have gone for nearly five years, since 2018, without running water, despite having communal and household taps.

At Oluvango in particular, villagers have been relying on seasonal water ponds during that time and, during drier periods, they cross the border into Angola to fetch water from that country’s earth dams for household consumption and livestock.

Those who have the means are forced to drive to Outapi to buy potable water, as authorities have run out of excuses.

Other affected villages are Olukekete, Okakekete, Omufitu waNauyala, Okafitu kaShihau, Onaame and Ondeka. While some of these villages get water occasionally, not a single drop has come through taps in Oluvango.

Officials from the ministry of agriculture, water and forestry as well as NamWater have been alerted to the situation, but taps remain dry.

Back to the Stone Age

Not even Anamulenge constituency councillor Tylves Angala has been able to restore the dignity of his voters, who said they have been returned to the Stone Age by this crisis.

"As a councillor, I have reported the issue several times to all stakeholders involved. We were told that the population is growing and the water pressure is just not strong enough for all those people," he said.

Angala added that his office, along with NamWater, the ministry and the Omusati regional council initiated the building of a water trap last year, but that was not enough to change residents’ fortunes.

"We have 12 constituencies and two trucks that transport water, so you can imagine. There are schools, clinics and communities and we cannot supply water to everyone with only two trucks," he said.

Chronic crisis

Omusati region governor Erginus Endjala yesterday confirmed he is aware of the chronic water problem at Oluvango.

"The tender for the purification plant for Outapi has already been granted to the contractor. This will be for the upgrading of this plant so that the water pressure can be increased,” he told Namibian Sun.

He added: “It is an unfortunate situation, even Onawa Secondary School is experiencing this. For all these years, there's been a problem with the infrastructure of the canal from where we got water.

“This canal was built in the 1960s. That is the main reason why NamWater had to reduce the water pressure," he said.

Endjala added that the plan is to finalise the water plant in December, and the region has in the meantime mobilised six water tanks that provide water to villages in Anamulenge.

"The regional council, ministry of education, rural water supply, and the Office of the Prime Minister all gave a tank and in some cases two."

Endjala encouraged residents to endure the circumstances for “a while longer” until the situation is solved.

Resident steps up

Oluvango resident John Shivandu said they feel like their independence has been taken away from them.

"Water in that area has been a problem for a long time. I stay in Windhoek, and I take my family home on holidays. We have been told that the water pressure is the real problem, but even that is not fixed," he said.

To do basic things like cooking and taking a bath requires him to drive more than seven kilometers to Outapi and back to buy water, he said.

Families from neighboring villages often give him their containers to fill up too.

Shivandu admitted that constantly buying water is challenging, but said he feels he has a responsibility to his community.

The villages in and around the Anamulenge constituency are home to over 3 000 residents.