EDITORIAL: Namibia must address waste management
Revelations about the abhorrent levels of litter in the dusty north-western town of Opuwo are a clear reminder that government’s rhetoric as far as the provision of adequate sanitation to the communities is nothing but lip service.
Most local authorities across the country continue to fail when it comes to devising and implementing effective waste management systems, a situation that places the health of thousands of Namibians at risk.
Waste management is often seen as a nice thing to have in many local authorities; many do not even have scheduled waste collection timetables.
In some towns, sewage ponds overflow into residential areas, posing a major risk to health.
When Namibian Sun’s two northern-based reporters visited Opuwo recently, their findings were shocking, to say the least. In fact, some community members said they have lost hope that the situation might improve one day. Residents bemoaned the waste and litter across town and told Namibian Sun that despite paying for waste removal, the town remains dirty.
Another resident claimed Opuwo is only clean when a government official comes to town and that the town’s leadership chooses to play dirty political games instead of providing basic services to the community.
If Namibia is to eliminate sanitation-linked health challenges such as diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, malnutrition and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, government must tighten its grip on local authorities and compel them to put programmes in place that will enhance the provision of sanitation services to our people.
Most local authorities across the country continue to fail when it comes to devising and implementing effective waste management systems, a situation that places the health of thousands of Namibians at risk.
Waste management is often seen as a nice thing to have in many local authorities; many do not even have scheduled waste collection timetables.
In some towns, sewage ponds overflow into residential areas, posing a major risk to health.
When Namibian Sun’s two northern-based reporters visited Opuwo recently, their findings were shocking, to say the least. In fact, some community members said they have lost hope that the situation might improve one day. Residents bemoaned the waste and litter across town and told Namibian Sun that despite paying for waste removal, the town remains dirty.
Another resident claimed Opuwo is only clean when a government official comes to town and that the town’s leadership chooses to play dirty political games instead of providing basic services to the community.
If Namibia is to eliminate sanitation-linked health challenges such as diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, malnutrition and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, government must tighten its grip on local authorities and compel them to put programmes in place that will enhance the provision of sanitation services to our people.
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