Filthy Grootfontein an eyesore

The Grootfontein municipality is accused of turning a blind eye to waste removal, as residents have been forced to endure piles of rubbish and pools of sewage, particularly in informal areas, for years.

On a visit to Grootfontein last April, Namibian Sun observed piles of waste and sewage ponds that pose a health hazard to residents. On another visit recently, the situation remains unchanged.Residents expressed no confidence in the municipality as far as effective service delivery is concerned.

Apart from failing to collect waste from the streets, the municipality is also faced with land-grabbing, with residents resorting to a 'kap en bou' (chop and build) strategy.

There is also a lack of toilets in informal areas, which has forced residents to use the bucket system or the bush when nature calls.

The recent rains added salt to the wound, as heaps of waste are now in sewage pools, while in areas such as the Blikkiesdorp informal settlement, roads have been badly affected, becoming no-go areas for ­motorists. Taxi drivers have also refused to drive in certain areas of the town, as they fear incurring damage to their vehicles that could cost them thousands to repair. Some residents have questioned why the municipality has removed skip containers from certain parts of the town, saying the situation has resulted to more open spaces turning into dump sites.

One such area, across from the Red Cross Society offices along Sam Nujoma Drive, has for months been covered in filth, as the skip was removed and never returned.

“We used to have a skip container, but it is no longer there. We don't know what the municipality did with it. Now it's raining and as you can see the waste is under water, which creates a terrible smell for us,” a resident said.

“There are children who walk past there and they are at risk of getting sick. The street light pole is also under water. It is a total disregard for the safety of the residents. Council is not serious with us.”

At Blikkiesdorp, resident Josephat Khowaseb told Namibian Sun the local authority has failed them in terms of providing land and services.

Khowaseb said he has been living at Grootfontein for more than nine years and has applied for land, which was never made available.

“I am working in government and I have benefits such as a housing subsidy, but I am not getting land here to build a home for my family. There is no hope of getting land here. Others have resorted to 'kap en bou', which is a result of the local authority not availing land to residents. We really need land,” he said.

A number of residents approached for comment shared these sentiments, saying council is not living up to their expectations. When contacted for comment, the Grootfontein municipality did not respond. Namibian Sun asked the municipality about its plans regarding potholes, housing, the servicing of land and providing toilets for people in informal settlements.



Youth jobless

Grootfontein is also faced with the scourge of youth unemployment.

The majority of people living in informal settlements are unemployed, a situation which has resulted in an increase in crime and locals depending on dumpsites for survival.

When Namibian Sun visited the dumpsite, it was greeted by residents running up to the vehicle in the hope of securing a load of waste to sift through. The impoverished residents said they are struggling to find odd jobs and are left with no alternative but to survive on sorting and selling trash for cash. They have also erected makeshift structures, which they said protects them from the rain and heat.

The dumpsite is not fenced off to prohibit residents from scavenging, as required by law.

Despite the high unemployment rate, alcohol establishments in the informal settlements were packed.

KENYA KAMBOWE