Independent Patriots for Change parliamentarian Aloisius Kangulu has raised concerns over a prolonged water shortage at Otjihanameva, in the Erongo region.
Residents have reportedly gone more than two months without access to a reliable water supply.
Kangulu says the affected residents, located in the Dâures constituency, have been forced to travel nearly 12km to access water, describing the situation as an urgent humanitarian concern.
They have been without water for two months, he says.
He says he had formally notified the local governor, the responsible ministry and prime minister Elijah Ngurare about the situation, but says no concrete relief measures have been provided.
Kangulu raised the matter through an urgent oral question to the prime minister in the National Assembly on Wednesday, demanding clarity on when the government intends to intervene and how long residents are expected to remain without water.
“A country cannot talk about security and stability while its citizens are left without the most basic human necessity,” Kangulu said.
He called for the immediate dispatch of emergency alternative water supplies to Otjihanameva while the government works on restoring the permanent water supply.
Kangulu also demanded a clear, time-bound technical plan to address the water shortage and prevent residents from continuing to travel long distances for water.
He said the situation poses risks to the health, safety and well-being of the affected community and requires urgent government intervention.
Ngurare says there is no dispute on access to water, adding that the ministry remains committed.
“We will need to follow through. We procured tankers as water emergency supply in various regions, including the Erongo region, and we need to establish the state of the tanker because once a shortage of water appears, it should be the first source of water supply,” he says.
If it is broken, the Namibian Defence Force usually repairs it.
He says he will follow up to ensure the situation is addressed.
