Beneath our feet: Namibia’s silent infrastructure crisis cannot wait
There are few public services more invisible than a sewerage system. Most citizens never think about it until something goes wrong. Yet when it does, the consequences are immediate, unpleasant and potentially devastating. The recent acknowledgement by Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa that Katima Mulilo’s recurring sewage crisis is primarily the result of […]
There are few public services more invisible than a sewerage system.
Most citizens never think about it until something goes wrong. Yet when it does, the consequences are immediate, unpleasant and potentially devastating. The recent acknowledgement by Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa that Katima Mulilo’s recurring sewage crisis is primarily the result of an ageing sewer system should serve as a wake-up call, not only for the Zambezi Region, but for every local authority in Namibia.
The Windhoek Observer believes the issue extends far beyond Katima Mulilo. The minister himself has effectively highlighted a reality confronting municipalities and town councils across the country: many of Namibia’s underground sewer networks were built decades ago for populations that have since doubled, tripled or even quadrupled. The infrastructure that quietly supports modern life is reaching the limits of its design.
Ignoring this reality would be a costly mistake.
It is encouraging that Minister Sankwasa has openly rejected the simplistic explanation that poor workmanship is to blame. Instead, he has correctly identified the underlying challenge: capacity. A sewerage system originally designed to serve between 10,000 and 15,000 people cannot reasonably be expected to cope with a much larger population without significant upgrades.
This is not unique to Katima Mulilo.
