Yesterday the town's acting Chief Executive Officer, Jerry Shangadi, told The Namibian the municipality would not go back on its word.

Government ministries, businesses and NGOs collectively owe the municipality about N$1 million in outstanding water debts.

Of this amount Government ministries are said to be responsible for about N$600 000.

Shangadi has singled out the ministries of Basic Education, Health and Home Affairs for making erratic payments.

The guilty parties received letters two months ago informing them of the intended action if they failed to meet yesterday's deadline for debt settlement.

"It's really not easy for our operations [if people don't pay].

We have services to deliver and standards to maintain," he told The Namibian.

The CEO said the Municipality will not cut the water supply to schools and health facilities, but would instead target regional offices.

He said that when this had been done in the past, non-payers had been quick to cough up a part-payment but then another two months would elapse before another payment was received.

While some officials at the ministries in question denied that their bills were outstanding, others said payments were delayed because the account has to be settled by the ministry headquarters in Windhoek.

A source at the Regional Health Office told The Namibian: "Everything that goes to Windhoek can take two to three months".

Apparently regional ministries have to submit their municipal accounts to the head office in Windhoek for approval, which in turn requests the Finance Ministry to make the payment.

Shangadi said he was aware of this arduous process, but added: "The Government cannot make their problem our problem.

It's a long story, but I'm not interested".

He admitted that his Municipality's decision to be stricter with its clients was partly as a result of the pressure from the water utility NamWater, which is reducing the supply to town councils that do not keep up with payments.

A number of residents are also expected to see their water supply cut as from today, but Shangadi said this was normal monthly practice.

He said due to their economic situation, the majority of residents in the town's Tseiblaagte area have been without water for quite some time after failing to pay for the service.

The situation is slightly better in the Kronlein area, and when the supply is cut to residents there, they usually make some effort to have the service restored, he added.

In a media release, the Town Council's Public Relations Officer Epsom Jessop said the decision to cut the water supply of defaulters at the town is "aimed at saving Keetmanshoop from possible financial ruin and to provide sustainable municipal services continuously".

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