Otjiwarongo: The Municipality of Otjiwarongo has intensified its debt recovery efforts by disconnecting water services to government and business properties with outstanding accounts. Otjiwarongo Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mberipura Hifitikeko, told Nampa on Wednesday that the mass disconnection campaign started on Monday and targets about 60 businesses and government institutions in the town.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Hifitikeko stated that individual residential properties are currently exempted from the exercise. "Our target for now is 60 business and government properties that owe the municipality more than N.dollars 9.5 million for the past two months," said Hifitikeko. He explained that the municipality is unable to publicly identify these affected ministries and businesses due to the confidentiality agreement signed with them.
Hifitikeko noted that the municipality has issued several notices and demand letters to them, but no payments have been made towards settling the outstanding accounts. "Therefore, the municipality has no choice but to disconnect services to these properties in arrears as a method of recovering the outstanding debts," he said.
The CEO urged heads of government institutions and parastatals affected by the disconnections to engage the municipality's debt management office and make arrangements to settle their accounts. He said the continued failure by some institutions and businesses to honour their monthly obligations has negatively affected the municipality's cash flow.
Hifitikeko mentioned that the municipality would consider payment arrangements where debtors pay at least 50 per cent of the outstanding amount while committing to clear the remaining balance. The municipality pays about N.dollars 3.5 million per month to NamWater for bulk water supply to the town.
He further revealed that by the end of May 2026, the municipality was owed more than N.dollars 79 million in rates and taxes. Otjiwarongo currently has 8 968 active municipal accounts, comprising 1 760 account holders in informal settlements and 7 208 in formal residential and business areas.