Walvis residents unhappy with water disconnections

Walvis Bay residents from the Tutaleni residential area marched to the Municipality of Walvis Bay yesterday to hand over a petition concerning the disconnection of their water supplies.

The residents said they only recently heard about a new policy requiring them to pay 50% of their water bill before it is reconnected.

They said they cannot afford to pay the half deposit, as some residents have debts of over N$50 000.

They claim that they are disappointed that their water is being disconnected without notice, especially on weekends and evenings, since 19 May.

Maureen Somaes, who read the petition on behalf of the group, said the municipality was supposed to call a meeting to inform residents about its new credit control policy first.

“Your office has breached the contract and failed to inform us about the new changes that were implemented and failed to inform us and acted upon your own doing. As you know, most of the residents in Tutaleni are barely making a minimum wage and some are unemployed.

Asking someone to pay 50% of a N$20 000 water debt is unrealistic and obnoxious as we have been paying what we could as per previous agreement [sic] with the previous council. It has been 10 years, but our water debt has still not been settled. We request to be shown how the money we have been paying over the years has been used on [sic] each and every individual resident.

They also want the municipality to write off all water debts, as they have been paying off debts that have not been settled after 10 years. The municipality’s credit control assistant accountant, Paulus Paulus, advised the group to visit his office.

“We have heard your outcry. The council already addressed your issue regarding the 50%. I would like to invite you individually to the credit control office so that we can advise you since you have separate accounts, but the matter has been addressed and they are still dealing with how to assist you on the way forward,” he said.

The group members, however, declined the invitation, saying they wanted a meeting where the entire community will be addressed.

“We do not want to come individually. We are all affected. The municipality was supposed to warn us about this 50% policy. You did not come individually to us to inform us, why do we have to come see you individually? We are standing together. Some people are not here.

We need to be addressed together. Water is cut during the night. Did we also vote during the night?” she asked.

The group insisted on personally handing over the petition to Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes, although they had not communicated with the mayor’s office about their demonstration.

Forbes was attending a meeting at the time, and the group was assured that a date would be set for them to return with the petition.