Oshakati stunned by floods

With the rainy season still in the early stages the flood-prone town of Oshakati is yet again busy with the relocation of people to higher ground following heavy rain that has left some areas flooded.While the majority of the informal settlements are flooded, houses at Ehenye constructed under the Mass Housing programme are also flooded, which has angered the home owners who want the council to step up and handle the situation with urgency.When Namibian Sun visited Ehenye yesterday one could observe mini islands where some houses were surrounded by rainwater forcing desperate home owners to purchase sand from private companies, which they say is a costly exercise.Frustrated home owner Vistorina Ngolongo described the situation as very bad, saying that the flooding has become a burden for her.Ngolongo said she had to instruct her son not to go to school yesterday in order to monitor the situation because the water running through the culverts metres from her home was flowing from the other side of the road straight into her yard.“I was very happy to have received the house, but I am not feeling well about the water which has trapped my house. I even had to park my car somewhere else because I cannot enter my house,” she said.“If the council can assist us with sand or close the culverts we will be happy because this situation is unacceptable.”Oshakati is now faced with a scarcity of higher ground where they can move affected people to. Ekuku, the area where people used to be relocated to, has been developed and houses were built there.Oshakati mayor Angelus Iyambo said the council was taking the plight of the people very seriously. He said some people from the Oshoopala and Oneshila informal settlements had been relocated to a fenced area in Ekuku, but it was not large enough to accommodate them all. Iyambo could not say how many people had been relocated so far, saying the council was still assessing the situation.“We have started relocating people to Ekuku but we are still looking for other optional places where we can relocate the people. The people should know that the council is busy and we are trying our level best to handle the issue,” Iyambo said.When asked about the flooding at Ehenye caused along the way where the culverts were constructed, Iyambo said the council was not to blame as the developer, which is the National Housing Enterprise (NHE), should have ensured that the area was safe.Iyambo said the council was only responsible for allocating the land and it was the duty of the developer to ensure that this kind of thing did not happen.He said the council and the NHE were looking at ways of addressing the issue amicably. KENYA KAMBOWE

Oshakati stunned by floods

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-02

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Oshakati stunned by floods

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-02

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