Rundu’s population expected to reach 90 000 this year

RUNDU, 19 SEP – Rundu’s population is expected to increase to 90 000 people this year, a report by First Capital Treasury Solutions has indicated.
The local financial services company recently released an economic profile it did of Rundu, which said according to its estimates the town’s population was 85 700 in 2017.
This estimation was based on figures from the 2011 Population and Housing Census, which said the town had a population of 63 431 at the time, with population growth of 5,4 per cent per year.
This was second only to Windhoek, where the population was 325 858 at the time.
Rundu’s population is estimated to further increase by 4 700 to reach 90 000 this year, it said.
“At 5,4 per cent population growth, Rundu’s population is increasing at a rate much higher than both the national urban population mean growth (4,2 per cent) and median growth (3,3 per cent),” it said.
The report also indicated that the town’s population share in the Kavango East Region increased from 30 per cent in 2001 to 57 per cent in 2016.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Rundu Town Council, Sikongo Haihambo when contacted for comment on how the increasing population will impact service delivery, said population growth can be a good thing but it needs to be managed properly as it can put the town under pressure.
“It can be a good thing if the council is in a position to generate more revenue, but only if the population can pay for services such as water, refuse removal and other vital services,” said Haihambo.
He added that the increase in population increases the demand for services which also means the existing services are being put under strain. – NAMPA