Windhoek mayor Sakarias Uunona has defended the city’s recent 4% average municipal tariff increase, calling it a reasonable adjustment to maintain essential local infrastructure.
The City of Windhoek last week announced that the tariffs were increased from 1 July.
This affects water, refuse collection and sewerage services, as well as fire brigade services and rates and taxes.
“The 4% is not a lot. The council had to strike a balance between not going too deep into the pockets of residents and ensuring the city can continue providing services,” Uunona says.
He says the municipality has kept tariffs largely unchanged for several years despite inflation and rising operational costs.
“The council therefore found that a 4% increase was reasonable, rather than going beyond 5%,” the mayor says.
Uunona says the municipality also faces the effects of inflation and needs enough revenue to continue maintaining infrastructure.
“When the prices of goods and services increase, municipalities also pay more to provide services. We have to find a way to continue maintaining infrastructure and purchasing the equipment needed to serve residents,” he says.
Households with a standard 15mm water meter now pay a monthly basic charge of N$53.84 – up from N$51.77.
Meanwhile, households using up to six kilolitres (kL) of water per month now pay N$26.66 per kL instead of N$25.63.
Those using more than 50kL now pay N$165.25 per kL – up from N$158.89.
Refuse collection charges have also gone up. Weekly collection of a 240-litre household bin now costs N$181.27 a month – up from N$174.30.
Collecting a 130-litre bin now costs N$141.96, while refuse removal in informal settlements has increased from N$41.90 to N$43.58 per container.
The Khomas Residents and Ratepayers Association says service delivery should improve before residents are asked to pay more.
“Tariff raises shouldn’t be triggered by the need for funds but rather the proportion of service delivery as opposed to billing proportion. You can’t let citizens pay more for the very same services.
“Upgrade and add value to service before you ask for more,” says association representative Shaun Gariseb.
He says residents were only informed of the increase after it had already taken effect.
“The City of Windhoek’s announcement is retrospective and was deliberately done on a Thursday afternoon, days after it’s already been implemented,” Gariseb says.
The city last increased municipal tariffs by 5% in 2024. That increase was widely criticised by residents. The city increased electricity tariffs by 3.9% in August last year.
‘UNRELIABLE’
Residents in some communities say higher tariffs are difficult to accept while basic services remain unreliable.
Samora Machel constituency resident Negodhi Panduleni says many people have been without reliable access to water since last year.
“How can water tariffs increase when we still have to walk 800m to fetch water? If we are paying more, water should be available at our homes,” he says.
Panduleni says residents have also complained that prepaid water runs out too quickly.
“People tell us that when they buy N$50 worth of water, it is enough to fill only one 20l container before the credit is finished,” he says.
He says poor refuse collection and a lack of street lighting remain major concerns.
“When the wind blows, the rubbish is carried into the school and people’s houses. Residents are paying for this service, but the bins are not emptied on time,” Panduleni says.
Mix Settlement resident Benita Sakaria says the increase will make life harder for families already struggling to pay for basic services.
“I’m feeling pain because sometimes we don’t have money to buy water,” she says.
Sakaria says residents must also pay transport costs to recharge their prepaid water cards.
Consumer finance analyst Salomo Iipinge says the increase will put more pressure on households already dealing with the rising cost of living.
“Rates, water and utility bills are inevitable costs for consumers. These are basic needs people cannot live without,” he says.
Iipinge says municipalities should consider the financial position of residents before increasing tariffs, adding that higher charges could leave more people unable to keep up with their municipal accounts.
“This is where you find people defaulting on their rates and taxes. They fall behind, are charged interest and penalties, and before long, the amount they owe becomes overwhelming,” he says.
He says unpaid municipal accounts could have serious consequences, including the loss of a home.
Iipinge says municipalities should ensure tariff increases are balanced against the financial realities facing ordinary consumers.
