City of Windhoek repairs over 26 000 potholes

The City of Windhoek has repaired more than 26 000 potholes across the capital since February.

Windhoek mayor Ndeshihafela Larandja disclosed the figures during a public engagement meeting at Soweto Market in the John Pandeni constituency on Saturday, where she outlined service delivery progress and the infrastructure challenges confronting the municipality.

Larandja said municipal assessments had identified 650 streets across the city with potholes and surface deformities requiring urgent intervention.

“From February to date, more than 26 000 potholes have been repaired. This is a significant figure that shows the extent of our intervention in maintaining the city’s road network. The repairs have been spread across all suburbs to ensure that every community receives attention, rather than focusing on only one part of Windhoek,” she said.

The mayor added that major road upgrades were underway to ease congestion and reduce travel times, while the city had also programmed upgrades to intersections that face heavy traffic loading to improve throughput and safety.

“Planned decongestion projects include the dualisation of Auas Road from Truck-port to Mandume Ndemufayo, Peter Nanyemba Road (formerly Monte Christo Road), and Winnie Madikizela Mandela Road (formerly Otjomuise Road). In addition, the upgrading of major intersections subject to heavy traffic loading is also programmed to improve throughput and safety, which are vital to the city’s development,” Larandja said.

On water supply, she reported that a total of 5 567 applications for prepaid water meters were processed between 2020 and 2025. Of these, 3 088 meters had been installed, while 2 479 remained pending.

Larandja explained that the city currently has 1 610 prepaid water meters in stock, comprising 1 280 above-ground units and 330 wall-mounted units, which will be deployed once installations resume at scale.

She said delays in installations had been caused mainly by challenges in the procurement process, particularly the appointment of unit rate contractors tasked with carrying out the work.

“The cost of a prepaid water meter currently stands at N$6 305.94, excluding value-added tax, and installation times are heavily dependent on the availability of manpower. The delay in installations is primarily attributed to challenges within the tendering process, which slowed down the appointment of contractors.

“Applicants should note that the standard waiting period is four to eight weeks, but with current manpower shortages, the waiting time may be longer than usual.

“The municipality is working on these procurement issues to ensure that outstanding applications are addressed as soon as possible,” she said.

The mayor further stressed that the community engagement meetings were not simply a reporting exercise, but an opportunity for residents and the council to share responsibility for development and participate in decision-making.

“With the current council’s five-year term nearing completion, this round of meetings carries added significance.”

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