Humans, animals clash over food at Opuwo dumpsite
Town’s poorest eke out a living
With four children and no job, an Opuwo resident has been forced to scavenge for food at the town's dumpsite for over a decade.
Intense scrambles for food between animals and humans are seemingly par for the course at the Opuwo dumpsite.
Authorities have for years struggled to stop residents from frequenting the dumpsite to no avail - despite the severe health risks associated with consuming food from the site.
The town's unfenced dumpsite is located just behind its informal settlement, with dogs, goats and humans clashing daily while scavenging for food.
Residents have laid the blame for this sad state of affairs at the feet of the town’s leadership, who they claim have been reluctant to further develop the town.
When Namibian Sun visited, the municipality truck was offloading garbage at the dump, which is done on a daily basis.
Uarundjumbu Tjikurujimbi said he visits the dumpsite on every day to eke out a living for himself and his family.
“We come here because we have nothing to eat at our homes and to look for steel that we can sell to make ends meet,” the 42-year-old said.
He added that with four children and no job, he is forced to scavenge at the dumpsite, which he has been doing for more than a decade.
“We dig up old steel underground. We encounter used bombs and anything can happen,” he said.
Fence stolen
Asked why the dumpsite is not fenced off, the town's CEO Matjandjara Tjihuura-Katurota said the area was fenced off in the past.
“Unfortunately, due to the persistent drought, people started flocking to the town from the periphery and all other parts of the country to seek opportunities in Opuwo,” she said.
She added that this resulted in vandalism of property and theft of the fencing materials at the dumpsite.
Tjihuura-Katurota said the town council plans to relocate the dumpsite to a new location and decommission the current one.
“As the town grows, some people have settled and have started demanding services. Consequently, the council is an engagement with traditional authorities for this dream to become a reality."
So far, traditional authorities have allocated land to allow the town's boundaries to be expanded.
Meanwhile, the council is planning to fence off and allocate a security guard to the dumpsite, the CEO said. However, due to financial constraints, the implementation of this plan has been delayed.
“In the meantime, the council resolved to appoint an environmental practitioner who will monitor the area and another person doing waste segregation and management thereof,” she said.
“We believe that after the relocation of the dumpsite, there will be no humans scrabbling for food in this area. The new site will be fenced-off and an education campaign will be rolled out on hygiene and safety for residents to understand the danger,” Tjihuura-Katurota said.
Authorities have for years struggled to stop residents from frequenting the dumpsite to no avail - despite the severe health risks associated with consuming food from the site.
The town's unfenced dumpsite is located just behind its informal settlement, with dogs, goats and humans clashing daily while scavenging for food.
Residents have laid the blame for this sad state of affairs at the feet of the town’s leadership, who they claim have been reluctant to further develop the town.
When Namibian Sun visited, the municipality truck was offloading garbage at the dump, which is done on a daily basis.
Uarundjumbu Tjikurujimbi said he visits the dumpsite on every day to eke out a living for himself and his family.
“We come here because we have nothing to eat at our homes and to look for steel that we can sell to make ends meet,” the 42-year-old said.
He added that with four children and no job, he is forced to scavenge at the dumpsite, which he has been doing for more than a decade.
“We dig up old steel underground. We encounter used bombs and anything can happen,” he said.
Fence stolen
Asked why the dumpsite is not fenced off, the town's CEO Matjandjara Tjihuura-Katurota said the area was fenced off in the past.
“Unfortunately, due to the persistent drought, people started flocking to the town from the periphery and all other parts of the country to seek opportunities in Opuwo,” she said.
She added that this resulted in vandalism of property and theft of the fencing materials at the dumpsite.
Tjihuura-Katurota said the town council plans to relocate the dumpsite to a new location and decommission the current one.
“As the town grows, some people have settled and have started demanding services. Consequently, the council is an engagement with traditional authorities for this dream to become a reality."
So far, traditional authorities have allocated land to allow the town's boundaries to be expanded.
Meanwhile, the council is planning to fence off and allocate a security guard to the dumpsite, the CEO said. However, due to financial constraints, the implementation of this plan has been delayed.
“In the meantime, the council resolved to appoint an environmental practitioner who will monitor the area and another person doing waste segregation and management thereof,” she said.
“We believe that after the relocation of the dumpsite, there will be no humans scrabbling for food in this area. The new site will be fenced-off and an education campaign will be rolled out on hygiene and safety for residents to understand the danger,” Tjihuura-Katurota said.
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