By John K. Disho
RUNDU, SEPT 10 – Frustrated residents of Millennium Park in Rundu are forced to walk long distances or drive as far as Kayengona a round trip of over 20 kilometers in search of bushes to relieve themselves, due to a lack of water in their homes for the past two months.
Residents also recently told NBC television that they can no longer bear the unbearable unpleasant smell in their homes as the water crisis persists daily.
The water shortage in Rundu has been a long-standing issue, despite the town being located on the banks of the perennial Kavango River just a stone’s throw away.
Year after year, residents endure water cuts that severely disrupt their daily lives.
The crisis has given rise to a booming informal water-selling business. Some individuals, especially those with off-road vehicles, collect water in large tanks and sell it to desperate residents.
Prices can reach over N$1,000 to fill a 5,000-liter water tank, making it almost essential for every household to own a water tank.
Residents say they have complained several times to the Rundu Town Council, requesting urgent solutions to the water crisis, but claim they have received no response.
Rundu is now being compared to the settlement of Wlotzkasbaken located between Swakopmund and Henties Bay where each house relies on its own water tank survival.
According to residents, the town’s water problems began when NamWater took over operations on April 1, 1998.
The state-owned company was tasked with managing water supply across Namibia, including Rundu.
However, this shift reportedly plunged Rundu into massive water debt. As it stands, the town owes NamWater close to N$400 million, making it difficult for the supplier to provide sufficient water to the entire town.
Some residents have called for NamWater to relinquish its mandate in Rundu, saying the company acts only as a middleman.
However, they believe there is a lack of political will to bring about change.
Despite the ongoing hardship, residents continue to pay for services they say they no longer receive.-Namibia Daily
