Full Story

04.04.2005

Keetmans water supply suspended

By: LUQMAN CLOETE at KEETMANSHOOP

NamWater's General Manager of Operations, Dr Kuiri Tjipanjandjra,

confirmed the suspension, but declined to give further details.

A press conference will be held in Keetmanshoop today to give

the Keetmanshoop Town Council and NamWater the opportunity to state

their side of the story, Tjipanjandjra said.

The Namibian has learnt from a reliable source that the

suspension was prompted by an outstanding debt of N$3,5 million

that the Keetmanshoop Town Council has owed the bulk supplier for

the past four months.

On Friday, the town's Chief Executive Officer, Jerry Shangadhi,

and Tjipanjandjra telephonically negotiated to restore the town's

water supply, the source added.

Most of the local councillors The Namibian spoke to were in the

dark about the suspension.

"We met on Thursday with the town's CEO, thus we are surprised

that we had not been informed then", two councillors said.

Attempts to get comments from the CEO on Friday proved futile,

as he was locked in a meeting at Mariental.

A press conference will be held in Keetmanshoop today to give the

Keetmanshoop Town Council and NamWater the opportunity to state

their side of the story, Tjipanjandjra said.The Namibian has learnt

from a reliable source that the suspension was prompted by an

outstanding debt of N$3,5 million that the Keetmanshoop Town

Council has owed the bulk supplier for the past four months.On

Friday, the town's Chief Executive Officer, Jerry Shangadhi, and

Tjipanjandjra telephonically negotiated to restore the town's water

supply, the source added.Most of the local councillors The Namibian

spoke to were in the dark about the suspension."We met on Thursday

with the town's CEO, thus we are surprised that we had not been

informed then", two councillors said.Attempts to get comments from

the CEO on Friday proved futile, as he was locked in a meeting at

Mariental.