Stampriet: Residents of Stampriet say persistent and long-standing sewage and water problems remain unresolved, with households continuing to live with overflowing wastewater and blocked pipelines.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the situation is visible at the home of 59-year-old Katriena Rooi, where raw sewage pools in the yard due to a blocked line that connects her house and two neighbouring homes to the village's oxidation pond. Rooi expressed her concerns, stating, 'I am an old person and prone to illness. The smell is unbearable. When it gets hot, we have to close all the doors and windows because we cannot breathe,' while standing next to the trench of stagnant sewage that cuts across her plot.

Rooi mentioned that she tries to cover the sewage trench with corrugated zinc sheets when the flow becomes too strong. 'The children play here. Sometimes the sewage is too much, and it reaches the part where they run around,' she added. She also noted that insects and animals are attracted to the wastewater, creating what she described as a constant health concern.

According to the residents, the pipeline that connects Rooi's home and two neighbouring houses to the oxidation pond, situated on the outskirts of the village, has not been repaired despite repeated reports. The pond is overflowing and leaking beyond its boundary, with sewage seeping into the surrounding ground. The pond is located next to the local dump site, where waste has accumulated without regular cleaning.

Farmers and water users in the area have expressed worry that the leakage from the pond may reach the Stampriet Aquifer, which supports agriculture and livestock production in the Hardap Region. The village also remains without an ambulance, and residents say they must arrange their own transport to Mariental or Aranos in case of emergencies.

Efforts to get a comment from the Stampriet Village Council Chief Executive Officer, Victor Zambwe, proved futile as he has not responded to questions sent to him on the residents' concerns, while telephone calls went unanswered.