An overflowing dump site in the Onandjaba area in the Okalongo settlement has become a serious health hazard, with unbearable smells, exposed medical waste and roaming animals worsening conditions.
The settlement in the Omusati region, recently upgraded to the Onandjaba Village Council, has a dump site that residents say is already full, forcing people to dump waste at the entrance.
Residents claim the situation has exposed families and livestock to dangerous conditions, while council authorities say urgent intervention is needed.
Saara Shapenga, who lives near the site, says the smell has become unbearable and the area poses a danger to children and animals.
“Our children go there to play and sometimes return with syringes because even hospital waste is dumped there.
There is no fence and despite our complaints, nothing has been done,” she says.
Shapenga says residents occasionally contribute money to hire a tractor to clean the area, but the costs are too high for the community to sustain.
She adds that people living close to the dump site are exposed to the stench daily, which at times causes illness, especially during rainy periods when waste spreads further.
The community is now calling on the council to relocate the dump site away from residential areas.
Independent Patriots for Change Omusati regional secretary Matatias Nakweenda says residents have complained for years about the dangers posed by the dumping site, even before the area became a village council.
Nakweenda says the site is located in a water pathway (oshana) near an earth dam and several water points used by both people and livestock.
He warns that waste residue and chemical substances from the site are contaminating nearby water sources, making them unsafe for consumption.
“Since the council is still at an infant stage, it should work together with the regional council to address the matter.
The dump site must either be relocated or upgraded to acceptable standards to avoid further health risks and livestock losses,” he says.
Onandjaba Village Council acting chief executive Kallush Aipinge acknowledges the seriousness of the issue but says the council is still in transition and unable to independently conduct procurement processes for maintenance work.
“We approached the Omusati regional office to assist with a procurement tender, but the process failed after bidders quoted very high amounts.
The process now has to be restarted so that a contractor can temporarily clean the site,” he says.
Aipinge expresses concern over vandalism at the dump site after sections of the fence were cut, allowing children and animals to enter.
He says a contractor has already been hired to conduct studies on suitable alternative dumping sites further away from residents as part of a long-term solution.
Community meetings were held last Sunday, where residents were assured the matter is being treated urgently.
According to a 2019 news report, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism recognised only 15 dump sites countrywide as legal waste disposal sites, while many others operated by local authorities remain illegal.
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