Khorixas is filthy - residents
The acting CEO of the Khorixas municipality, Railious /Gowaseb, has denied that a clean-up of rubble from the streets on Monday was a hurried attempt to create a semblance of cleanliness in an otherwise dirty town in preparation of yesterday's visit by the new Kunene governor, Marius Sheya.
“That is not true. To clean the town is routine business. It is not for the governor,” /Gowaseb countered. Disgruntled residents, preferring anonymity for fear of reprisals from council officials, said heaps of garbage that had been piling up along the streets were removed only because of the impending high-level visit.
“As soon as the governor gets back into his car, it will be back to basics,” said one resident.
There have been complaints about blocked drains overflowing onto the streets without anything being done by the municipality despite numerous complaints.
Even other government institutions have complained to the town council.
Towards the end of last month the Ministry of Environment and Tourism wrote a letter to the municipality to complain about a “sewage pollution” problem around the Khorixas State Hospital and the Hollywood Single Quarters, and an overflowing drain under the Unib Bridge.
This letter expressed concern about compromised health and warned of a “complete contamination of the environment and surrounding communities” unless the council took drastic action.
Days later the Ministry of Health and Social Services also wrote a letter to complain about blocked drains in the Hollywood settlement and on the hospital premises after an investigation by its health inspector.
This letter advised an urgent improvement in the sanitation of the town to avoid the spread of enteric diseases that have broken out in the Kunene Region and called on the municipality to urgently replace or repair all damaged pipelines.
“We are all expected to pay our rates and taxes before the seventh of every month. If we fail to do so, the council immediately cuts off our water and electricity supply. We, however, are expected to live in this unbearable mess from year to year. Why should the government give any money to a council like this?” said one angry resident.
This resident said drains next to schools and in front of private homes were left uncovered for long periods without anything being done.
“Children are being born in this mess,” the resident said.
He claimed that dog and cat carcasses in drains are left unattended for weeks, that rubbish is allowed to pile up in streets and merely moved out of sight if when it becomes too unsightly, and that the town's sewage ponds are empty because the sewage flows out onto the streets.
“Every town in the Kunene Region is a mess. When you make a noise about this, you are treated like a cow,” the resident said.
Chief Samson /Awaseb in the Khorixas area concurred with the residents, saying many drains have been overflowing “for years” while roads in the town are not graded.
“Our roads look like crocodile teeth because of the sharp, pointy stones,” /Awaseb said.
“There is no development taking place in Khorixas. I have appealed to the councillors to put their political differences aside and concentrate on development instead. This council only has two years left before the next elections and they still have nothing to show for it,” /Awaseb said.
Acting CEO /Gowaseb said he was only aware of the letter from the health ministry and claimed to have no knowledge of a letter from the ministry of environment.
He also said the residents should take some of the responsibility for the mess because they often dumped cattle hides and donkey skulls into open drains. He said many drains were open because the cast-iron manhole covers were stolen to be sold as scrap metal.
/Gowaseb said people farming illegally in the informal settlement also deliberately blocked drains or broke pipes so that their animals could have something to drink.
“The community must cooperate. It is not that bad. We attend to problems when we get notices of blockages,” /Gowaseb said.
CATHERINE SASMAN
“That is not true. To clean the town is routine business. It is not for the governor,” /Gowaseb countered. Disgruntled residents, preferring anonymity for fear of reprisals from council officials, said heaps of garbage that had been piling up along the streets were removed only because of the impending high-level visit.
“As soon as the governor gets back into his car, it will be back to basics,” said one resident.
There have been complaints about blocked drains overflowing onto the streets without anything being done by the municipality despite numerous complaints.
Even other government institutions have complained to the town council.
Towards the end of last month the Ministry of Environment and Tourism wrote a letter to the municipality to complain about a “sewage pollution” problem around the Khorixas State Hospital and the Hollywood Single Quarters, and an overflowing drain under the Unib Bridge.
This letter expressed concern about compromised health and warned of a “complete contamination of the environment and surrounding communities” unless the council took drastic action.
Days later the Ministry of Health and Social Services also wrote a letter to complain about blocked drains in the Hollywood settlement and on the hospital premises after an investigation by its health inspector.
This letter advised an urgent improvement in the sanitation of the town to avoid the spread of enteric diseases that have broken out in the Kunene Region and called on the municipality to urgently replace or repair all damaged pipelines.
“We are all expected to pay our rates and taxes before the seventh of every month. If we fail to do so, the council immediately cuts off our water and electricity supply. We, however, are expected to live in this unbearable mess from year to year. Why should the government give any money to a council like this?” said one angry resident.
This resident said drains next to schools and in front of private homes were left uncovered for long periods without anything being done.
“Children are being born in this mess,” the resident said.
He claimed that dog and cat carcasses in drains are left unattended for weeks, that rubbish is allowed to pile up in streets and merely moved out of sight if when it becomes too unsightly, and that the town's sewage ponds are empty because the sewage flows out onto the streets.
“Every town in the Kunene Region is a mess. When you make a noise about this, you are treated like a cow,” the resident said.
Chief Samson /Awaseb in the Khorixas area concurred with the residents, saying many drains have been overflowing “for years” while roads in the town are not graded.
“Our roads look like crocodile teeth because of the sharp, pointy stones,” /Awaseb said.
“There is no development taking place in Khorixas. I have appealed to the councillors to put their political differences aside and concentrate on development instead. This council only has two years left before the next elections and they still have nothing to show for it,” /Awaseb said.
Acting CEO /Gowaseb said he was only aware of the letter from the health ministry and claimed to have no knowledge of a letter from the ministry of environment.
He also said the residents should take some of the responsibility for the mess because they often dumped cattle hides and donkey skulls into open drains. He said many drains were open because the cast-iron manhole covers were stolen to be sold as scrap metal.
/Gowaseb said people farming illegally in the informal settlement also deliberately blocked drains or broke pipes so that their animals could have something to drink.
“The community must cooperate. It is not that bad. We attend to problems when we get notices of blockages,” /Gowaseb said.
CATHERINE SASMAN
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