City to dig deep for new landfill

The City of Windhoek will have to dig into its own coffers to pay for the planned construction of a new landfill as the Kupferberg landfill nears the end of its productive life.City spokesperson Scheifert Shigwedha made this statement to Namibian Sun yesterday.The City currently needs between N$120 million and N$150 million for the construction of the new landfill which will be located north of the current Kupferberg site, the City's executive for urban planning and property development, Ludwig Narib, said recently.“In those two years, we have just enough time to be ready to extend this facility,” said Narib, while pointing to the north of Kupferberg, the identified location for the new plant. Upon its completion, the extended plant will cater for the capital's waste for about 10 to 15 years, Narib said.When asked how the City would pay for the new plant, Shigwedha said while external finances were being sought, internal cash would have to be used to build the new plant.“The City would seek funding from external sources, and also consider alternatives such as a concessionary loan to finance the extension of the next phase of Kupferberg,” said Shigwedha.“However, and considering that these negotiations and applications tend to take time one to two years, we will have no choice but to pre-finance the initial commencement phase of the project from City own budgetary process, until such time that external funding has materialised.”It currently costs the City around N$900 000 per month to manage the waste management site according to Uirab.There are currently two plants at the Kupferberg landfill site, one for general waste and the other for hazardous waste. The hazardous waste plant caters for dangerous waste management. These include expired food, oil, chemicals, batteries, fertilisers and anything that is not known to the experts on site. Ludwig said extensive studies have been carried out and mechanisms are in place to ensure that Windhoek's underground water reservoirs are not compromised.“The plant is run on a self-sustaining and cost-recovery model, where those who dump waste pay tariffs depending on the quantity of their waste,” Uirab said. - Additional reporting by Nampa OGONE TLHAGE

City to dig deep for new landfill

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-05

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City to dig deep for new landfill

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-05

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