Surviving on dirty water amid pandemic

WATER sustains life, but for a community at Ongombo West, their source of water is a gamble with death.

The community draws water from their only available source – a contaminated river.

Ongombo West, with a population of more than 60 people, is situated about 35 kilometres outside Windhoek.

It is one of the farms the government has identified and served with expropriation notices years ago.

Helena Hoëbes (59), a community member told The Namibian last week they have been drinking the water for the past five years.

The water sometimes gives the children diarrhoea and stomach aches, she said.

“We are ready to die (sic) of the coronavirus, because this river water is very dirty and we are sharing it with different animals. Just look at how green it is. We have no choice but to drink it,” Hoëbes said.

She said the community has written to the authorities for help, but to no avail.

“We had running water when I was working for my Italian bosses who have a farm in the area, but when I got fired, they cut the pipe that was supplying our homes with clean water. The children are constantly sick and we use traditional medicine to cure them, but when it gets worse, we take them to hospitals in Windhoek,” Hoëbes said.

The Hoëbes household comprises about 30 people. Hoebes’ son, Alfons Eiseb, confirmed they have been writing letters to the government for help.

Eiseb said he does not understand why they cannot get water. “We are also part of Windhoek for that matter. Why must we suffer like this? The thing is not that we don’t want to work, we work very hard at nearby farms but we are being treated like animals and slaves. We are asking the government to help us. We are dying a slow death,”Eiseb said.

Meanwhile Windhoek Rural constituency councillor Penina Ita told The Namibian they are aware of the situation and are working on it.

“It is really unfortunate that these specific community members are going through this at this time. About three weeks ago, we sent out some officials to make an assessment and are working on it. The government, however, restored water tanks there, but the tanks were not maintained,” Ita said.

She said the authority is engaging nearby farmers to assist communities without clean running water.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), water and sanitation is a basic human right and an essential way to prevent diseases such as cholera, hepatitis E and Covid-19.

Rachel Odede, Unicef representative in Namibia said despite having achieved the millennium development goal target with regards to drinking water, Namibia is still struggling to cope with poor sanitation coverage.

“Namibia is prone to droughts and floods, which heighten the risks associated with waterborne diseases and sanitation, especially in areas with no sanitation facilities,” she said in a recent statement.

The World Health Organisation says one in three people – about 2,2 billion – live without safe drinking water.

The organisation says the struggle for water is likely to increase, with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation estimating 5,7 billion people could struggle to access water for at least one month a year by 2050.

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