Windhoek Not a Clean City Any More

When people think of cities in Africa, they think of dirt, rubbish bags, empty bottles and open defecation.

This in addition to dysfunctional public transport systems, potholed roads, and overloaded vehicles that are barely roadworthy.

This is, of course, not always the case. Some cities in Africa are environmentally conscious and have functioning road transport systems.

The 2024 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) report by Yale University ranked Namibia ninth on the continent and 99th globally in terms of cleanliness.

The EPI rankings are based on 58 indicators across 11 issue categories, ranging from climate change mitigation and air pollution to waste management, the sustainability of fisheries and agriculture, deforestation and biodiversity protection.

By this measure, Namibia seems to be doing relatively well.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Windhoek, which used to be ranked among the cleanest cities on the continent.

The capital appears to have fallen so far behind that it has become irrelevant. According to Pulse Nigeria, the top-five cleanest cities in Africa are Kigali (Rwanda), Cape Town (South Africa), Tunis (Tunisia), Port Louis (Mauritius), and Johannesburg (South Africa).

I live at Otjomuise and have noted with great concern the deteriorating cleanliness of our city. Right behind our house there’s a riverbed that seems to be turning into a dumpsite. Similar dumpsites are developing across the city. The view along the major roads at Otjomuise, Khomasdal and Katutura have become an eyesore. So has the portion of the road to the Daan Viljoen Game Reserve, which is used by joggers.

It is disheartening that we have allowed standards to drop this low, and no one seems bothered by the trash. A clean environment is not just a luxury, but a necessity for economic growth, public health and overall quality of life.

As with most countries in the world, the capital city is the face of the nation. Therefore, the cleanliness of Windhoek deserves serious attention, not only for the sake of its residents, but the larger economy as well.

The municipality should consider organising a clean-up campaign to restore the city’s prestige as one of the cleanest in Africa. We have done it before and can certainly do it again.

We just need to care a bit more.

Johannes Hatutale