Groot Aub residents have expressed dissatisfaction over the City of Windhoek’s (CoW) failure to provide them with basic municipal services since the settlement was incorporated into the capital five years ago.

The residents during a CoW Council public consultative meeting on Saturday said since the City took over the settlement from the Windhoek Khomas Regional Council, residents face many challenges caused by the proclamation.

In September 2017, CoW incorporated Groot Aub under the Windhoek Rural electoral constituency, where currently all municipal services are provided by the City of Windhoek except electricity distribution, which is still the responsibility of the Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower).

Expressing his dismay, traditional leader of the |Khomanin Petrus Eiseb said the proclamation has disrupted the lives of many residents as they are unable to construct homes, acquire electricity, drill boreholes, or farm, amongst others.

“We have a shortage of water in Groot Aub and we cannot drill boreholes because then we get fined, although the city is failing to provide water. CoW has stopped people from building, including dry toilets. However, we have nowhere to relieve ourselves because before Groot Aub had bushes but now everywhere you look is a shack,” he stressed.

Eiseb said since the proclamation, the City has put a moratorium on temporary and permanent construction due to a pending court case involving a resident who is claiming ownership of about six hectares of land.

Community activist Demetreo Beukes said although the proclamation will eventually bring about development, CoW is currently failing to provide basic needs. He stressed that 80 per cent of residents do not have electricity despite several calls by residents for CoW to fast-track the provision of electricity.

“Over 900 people sitting on erven are residents aged over 20 and most of them are willing to abide by CoW building regulations. The feeling on the ground currently is that CoW is against the development of residents,” he noted.

Chairing the meeting, Affirmative Reposition (AR) CoW Councillor Job Amupanda said the Council is willing to work with residents to fast-track development by ensuring that all municipal services are rendered effectively.

He said the City is finalising the court case to lift the moratorium, while efforts to take over the electricity assets from NamPower are underway to enable electricity provision.

Amupanda also shared that the water management department is conducting an assessment to draw water from Lake Oanob as low pressure in the Groot Aub underground water sources are the main contributor to the poor water supply.

He said a special meeting will be held by the council between January and February to address issues raised by the residents.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency