‘Answer us before we vote’

…Katutura residents demand answers before elections

Chairperson of the Katutura Residents Committee Benetus Kandudu has demanded urgent government action on a series of unresolved issues, ahead of the November elections.

Kandudu was demanding answers from urban and rural development minister Erastus Uutoni, during a press conference in Windhoek yesterday.

The committee’s key demands for debt write-offs, the introduction of prepaid water and electricity meters and the elimination of the controversial RedForce Debt Management’s services have been ignored, he said.

“We have given them ample time since June last year and now we are demanding answers, they should answer us before we decide who to vote for,” he said.

Despite multiple appeals to both the Windhoek Municipal Council and the Office of the President over the last year, the community says they have been met with silence.

“We have followed reasonable, law-abiding steps to seek greater understanding for our circumstances and to obtain a fair outcome,” Kandudu noted in a statement.

Our late president Hage Geingob responded by assuring us that our grievances were referred to the line minister, Erastus Uutoni. But to this day, we have received no feedback,” he noted.

The committee has called for an urgent response by tomorrow.

Community activist Daphne Paulse demanded that the ministry respond to their pleas.

She emphasised that many people are suffering in Katutura due to a lack of water and electricity. Among them are people living with disabilities and small children.

“We are here for our marginalised people. They want answers from us and that is why we are here. We are here to demand answers so that we really tell our people that we are intentionally being neglected. We are demanding all of that before elections so that our people really know who to vote for,” she said.

The committee noted that the situation in Katutura has become increasingly alarming. In other areas, residents and business owners are also suffering due to a lack of water and electricity, particularly in Khomasdal, Single Quarters and in Clemens Kapuuo Street.

The committee also called for immediate solutions like solar energy to be explored and implemented.

“Whatever is hindering the poor people of our city from getting relief must be removed,” noted the statement.

“We must give the minister until Friday to respond to the letters given to him in 2023 and again in 2024,” Kandudu said.

He emphasised that if no response is forthcoming, the residents will be left to question the government’s priorities ahead of the elections.

Uutoni’s personal assistant Asser Haradoeb calmed the angry crowd, telling them the minister would respond at a later stage.