A Windhoek councillor has come under fire for proposing residents of Havana’s Eneas Peter Nanyemba section “take up rakes and spades” and repair damaged gravel roads in their area themselves.
Reacting to Samora Machel constituency councillor Lydia Kanime’s call, lawmaker Vaino Hangula says she “has no idea how to deliver the necessary services to residents”.
Hangula says there are ways for residents to meet the government halfway, but levelling gravel roads is not one.
“It doesn’t make sense to pass the buck for service delivery to residents when their hard-earned taxes should be available for the councillor and government to provide the services,” the member of parliament says.
Hangula urges the councillor to initiate measures to address the issue.
Residents have complained about the poor state of gravel roads in the area, prompting Kanime last week to urge residents to “meet the municipality halfway” by repairing the roads themselves.
“We can come together as a community with spades and rakes and just level this road. We can do it united, residents,” Kanime said on Saturday.
Roads in the area have been damaged by rain, and council maintenance projects have been delayed. Earlier this month, the Windhoek municipality said it needs an additional N$353 million to repair potholes.
Meanwhile, Independent Patriots for Change member of parliament Armas Amukoto says it is unfair to expect residents to level their own gravel roads when they are already facing challenges such as a lack of clean running water, dusty roads, and poor living conditions.
“Road construction requires proper planning, drainage systems, water tunnels and technical expertise to ensure the infrastructure is durable and sustainable in the long term,” he says.
Repairing roads requires professional execution and adequate funding, he adds.
Amukoto says Havana has existed for many years and houses a large number of people who vote and contribute to the city.
“We shouldn’t let our people down.
For Havana informal settlement, a proper gravel road is not a luxury, but a basic need,” he says.
Amukoto says residents could still collaborate with the council on initiatives like cleanup campaigns and maintaining surroundings, for which large finances and technical expertise are not required, but road maintenance is beyond their responsibilities.
Meanwhile, Kanime over the weekend called for the community to unite and clean the area, “which has turned into a temporary dumpsite”.
While she acknowledged the lack of rubbish skips in the area, she said the community could select a day to clean the area and collect rubbish.
Kanime undertook to also participate in the effort.
She is not the first leader to come under fire for advising citizens to meet the government halfway in service delivery.
Former president Hage Geingob in 2023 advised teachers teaching outdoors due to a lack of classrooms to stop waiting for the government to take action.
He suggested they be creative and proactive.
“While you are waiting for the government, why don’t you put one pole here, one pole there, one pole here, and one there, and put blikkies [tins] on top?” he asked at the time.
