387 accounts affected by billing faults, City admits

The City of Windhoek has confirmed that at least 387 municipal accounts were adversely affected by a defective billing system, following months of public pressure and protest by residents.Responding to a growing outcry from a group of ratepayers and residents, City spokesperson Harold Akwenye said the municipality had verified that a substantial number of accounts had been compromised by anomalies in its billing processes.“The City has noted reports indicating that approximately 387 accounts may have been adversely affected by system anomalies. A verification process was conducted and affected accounts identified," Akwenye told Network Media Hub yesterday."Corrective actions, including account reconciliations and adjustments, are currently being implemented on a case-by-case basis to ensure fairness and accuracy," he added.The acknowledgement comes ahead of a planned protest and petition handover, scheduled for 28 July at the Katutura Customer Care Centre. Residents are demanding answers and redress, saying system errors have caused financial hardship, disrupted property transactions and undermined trust in the City’s administration.Trust erodedCommunity leader Shaun Gariseb, who is spearheading the protest, said the affected accounts include homeowners whose debts inexplicably escalated overnight. According to Gariseb, in several instances, residents claim their balances ballooned from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars without warning or explanation.“Fifteen of those affected have gone to court because they cannot obtain clearance certificates due to these inflated balances. These are not just numbers on paper – these are livelihoods being disrupted," Gariseb stressed.He also claimed knowledge of an alleged dramatic case involving a government ministry, which reportedly saw its municipal debt drop from N$1.2 million to just N$40 000 without any record of payment. “That alone shows how unreliable the system is,” Gariseb said.Audit still under wrapsThe City further confirmed that an independent audit into the billing system, commissioned from Deloitte, has been completed. However, the findings have not yet been released to the public.“The audit is undergoing internal review and discussion at the council level,” said Akwenye. “Once the necessary internal processes are finalised, and in accordance with Council resolutions and governance protocols, the City will provide a public summary of the key findings and recommendations.”Residents, however, remain sceptical. Gariseb argued that the report has allegedly been deliberately withheld, despite being signed off earlier this year by senior executive Fanuel Maanda while he was acting CEO. “They’re sitting on a document that confirms what we’ve known all along: the billing system is defective and has harmed hundreds of people,” he said.RedForce contract in the spotlightThe protestors are also demanding clarity on the future of the City’s debt recovery arrangement with RedForce Debt Management. The contract, set to expire at the end of July, has come under scrutiny for its allegedly aggressive recovery practices and lack of transparency in its extension.While Akwenye confirmed that a review of the contract is ongoing, no decision has yet been made regarding its renewal or termination.“Once all relevant considerations, including stakeholder feedback and legal advice, have been reviewed, Council will deliberate and communicate the outcome accordingly,” he said.Gariseb said the association will use the upcoming protest not just to submit a petition but to demand face-to-face answers from both the City's mayor and the CEO. “The City can no longer hide behind internal reviews and closed-door processes. We expect full disclosure and concrete solutions, not vague assurances," he said.

387 accounts affected by billing faults, City admits

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-10

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387 accounts affected by billing faults, City admits

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-10

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