The Keetmanshoop Municipality is struggling to pay its monthly NamWater bill and has resorted to disconnecting the water supply of defaulters.
Responding to questions by Nampa on Tuesday, the municipality’s public relations officer Dawn Kruger said in June, council’s bill with NamWater stood at N.dollars 8.3 million and customers were only able to pay N.dollars 6 million.
“This leaves a deficit of approximately N.dollars 2 million for the month. As a result of non-payment of monthly municipal bills by some consumers, the municipality is faced with the challenge of collecting sufficient revenue to sustain its operations, therefore water supply will be disconnected to customers whose accounts are in arrears,” said Kruger.
She said all customers whose water bills are in arrears are advised to visit the municipality and enter into a debt repayment agreement between 20 July and 07 August as council will start disconnecting water on 08 August.
She said from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, residents’ outstanding debt has increased from N.dollars 126 million to N.dollars 150 million.
When asked if disconnecting the water supply of those in arrears will not contradict the directive issued by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development last year that all local authorities provide potable water to residents with no access to water in the fight against COVID-19, Kruger said it appears as if customers who are in the position to pay for water and who have been paying for water simply decided to stop paying, using the pandemic as an excuse.
She said the non-payment by residents has increased council’s Namwater account from N.dollars 6.9 million in March 2020 to N.dollars 20.5 million in June 2021.
“At the beginning of 2021 the ministry forwarded another circular to all local authorities saying it was a misunderstanding that local authorities decided to supply free water to all residents including those who were in a position to pay for municipal services instead of applying the measure to vulnerable groups only,” said Kruger.
Further the circular said the provision of water at no cost should only be considered and applied in respect of verified vulnerable groups and those in informal settlements where there is no proper infrastructure.
“The circular advised that local authorities enforce credit and debit policies and suspend the services of defaulters,” she added.
The PRO said the municipality spent in excess of N.dollars 640 000 on water reconnection and provision of water to vulnerable communities, adding that a claim was submitted to the line ministry which was settled.
“The municipality in the fight against COVID-19 will ensure availability of water to vulnerable communities in informal settlements through stand pipes and if and when needed, water tanks are set up,” Kruger said.
Source: Namibia Press Agency
