The Katutura Residents Committee is threatening to strike over the City of Windhoek’s recent 5% rate increase.
Speaking to The Namibian recently, committee spokesperson Shaun Gariseb warned that frustration is boiling over among residents, who feel ignored and exploited by the city’s leadership.
This comes after the City of Windhoek on Tuesday afternoon announced municipal tariff increases effective 1 October.
According to the notice, the costs of municipal services such as water, rates and taxes, sewerage and waste management have been increased by 5%.
“This 5% increase is a slap in the face to ratepayers, and we are ready to take to the streets if the municipality does not reconsider,” Gariseb said.
Gariseb emphasised that the sudden announcement, combined with the city’s recent decision to stop offering rebates for water leakages, has left many residents feeling trapped.
“We are already dealing with a defective billing system, high reconnection fees and illegal parking tickets. The City of Windhoek has left us no choice but to strike.”
The Katutura Residents Committee has previously taken the City of Windhoek to court over high interest rates and other financial practices the members consider unfair.
According to Gariseb, while legal proceedings are ongoing, the municipality’s decision to impose a rate hike, while these issues remain unresolved is the final straw for many.
“We’ve reached out to the president and other government bodies, but the municipality continues to operate without regard for its residents. A strike is now our only option to make our voices heard,” Gariseb added.
He emphasised that they have exhausted all other avenues.
The only thing left is to show the municipality how serious they are.
According to the notice, the new tariffs were approved on 14 June.
The municipality urged residents to consult the full list of tariff adjustments in the City of Windhoek’s tariff book, available on the official website.
Katutura Residents Committee chairperson Benetus Kandudu expressed deep frustration over the municipality’s lack of engagement on issues related to debt incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“For the past two years, we have been struggling to get hold of all stakeholders, right from the president’s office and ministers, including the City of Windhoek, so that we can iron out issues pertaining to debt caused by Covid-19. And nothing has been done yet,” Kandudu said.
He highlighted how the current drought and increasing poverty in the country worsens the struggles faced by Katutura residents.
“The country itself has fallen into a drought that affects all households. Poverty and hunger are rampant, and it all starts in Katutura,” he noted.
Kandudu also criticised the municipality’s failure to consult residents before implementing the increase.
“As long as you deny the people the right to sit around the table, we, the Katutura Residents Committee, totally reject the increment because it sits on top of what we already have to bear.
The debts in Katutura are piling up, and the municipality has ignored our proposal to clear all debts related to Covid-19 and implement prepaid meters for low-income households,” Kandudu said.
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