Onandjaba residents choke on dump site crisis

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.