The Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) has condemned the recent vandalism and theft on the Ruby Main Overhead Powerline, describing it as an unpatriotic act that temporarily disrupted water supply to Walvis Bay.
The incident occurred over the weekend when vandals targeted the powerline supplying electricity to the Swartbank and Rooibank boreholes.
These boreholes form part of the critical infrastructure that ensures water provision to the coastal town.
As a result, NamWater suffered an immediate loss of 650 cubic metres of water per hour.
Namwater says temporary balancing was only possible through the High Dune and Dorop South boreholes, which managed to maintain a significantly reduced flow of 200 cubic metres per hour.
NamWater spokesperson Lot Ndamanomhata says the damage had far-reaching consequences for essential service delivery.
“We strongly condemn acts of vandalism and infrastructure theft, which not only compromise essential services but also undermine national progress and development. Such acts divert much-needed resources and delay service delivery to communities who depend on uninterrupted access to water,” Ndamanomhata says.
He adds that swift action by both the police and Erongo Regional Electricity Distributor (RED) helped limit the duration of the disruption.
While the perpetrators managed to flee the scene, Erongo RED teams immediately started repair work. Power was restored by 17h00 on Sunday, allowing NamWater to resume normal water supply operations.
Ndamanomhata has, in the meantime, called on members of the public to play their part in protecting national infrastructure.
“We appeal to the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity near water infrastructure to the nearest authorities,” he urges.
