Rundu residents resort to cutting pipes to access water

Residents of Ndama’s Sun City and Long to Long settlements in Rundu say they have been without potable water since September last year, forcing them to cut pipes in a desperate bid to access what has become a rare commodity at the riverside town.

Many residents are forced to travel long distances to fetch water, often facing dangerous situations, especially at night, where encounters with criminals and poisonous elements are common.

Speaking at a press conference in Ndama yesterday, spokesperson of the concerned group David Nekaro said the communities last saw water flowing from taps in September 2023. "Despite several attempts to engage the [Rundu Town Council], our efforts have been in vain. The management has refused to meet with the committee responsible or even come to the communities to engage with the people. Instead, the council has opted to engage with select individuals for publicity purposes, sidelining the affected people and their representatives,” he said.

Nekaro added that the water crisis is not only due to technical reasons, but also political agendas.

"Rundu has a small dam and outdated materials and tools, resulting in an inability to provide water to all inhabitants. Consequently, they have decided to sacrifice the people in informal settlements by disconnecting the pipes and prioritising those closer to the central business district,” he said.

Health concerns

Nekaro also highlighted concerns over hygiene and sanitation resulting from the prolonged water shortage.

"We have elderly, sick people and school-going children who do not have water to bathe, cook or drink every day. People are walking long distances to fetch water from main pipes, compromising their safety and security, especially at night," he said.

He added that the council has been charging residents for water they do not have access to. "Every month, people receive messages demanding payment and threatening to disconnect or terminate services if they do not pay," Nekaro said.

Kauno Hamutenya, a resident of Ndama, said his community continues to grapple with water issues due to poor management by the town council.

“They have neglected the town’s infrastructure, including water, roads and electricity. Many of the councillors have forgotten that they once were activists fighting for the same issues we are facing today. Now that they have become councillors, the people's problems are no longer important to them. We are calling for urgent intervention by the minister of urban and rural development to address the water crisis in Ndama because the Rundu Town Council has failed to assist us,” Hamutenya said.

‘We are suffering’

Martina Kangoro, a resident of Long to Long informal settlement, said she walks every day to collect water at a private school in the Sun City informal settlement.

“The water crisis in Ndama has forced me and others to sometimes sleep here, and because we have been sleeping away from our homes, criminals have attempted to rape us. At times, we are forced to sleep without eating due to the lack of water,” she said.

“Our children are going to school without proper baths and in dirty clothes. We are calling on the town’s leadership to install a dam or borehole in the affected settlements. Despite paying for our water, we are suffering from hunger and filth,” she added.

Demands

Nekaro warned: “We have decided to inform the council through this platform that our communities are going to protest on Tuesday, 4 June, should they not provide water immediately”.

“We demand that the council provide an immediate resolution to the water crisis within seven working days, cancel all outstanding debts related to water and refund all the money the people have paid for water services since September 2023,” he said.

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