Rundu: Rundu residents and business owners have expressed concern that the town is being turned into a dumping site, especially along Maria Mwengere Road and Riverside, harming the local economy and tourism.
According to Namibia Press Agency, residents raised their concerns during the Rundu Town Council’s (RTC) Proposed Capital Projects Budget and Tariff Proposal Meeting for the 2025/26 financial year, held at the town’s Trade Fair Centre. They called for serious intervention in cleaning up the town. The total proposed capital budget for the RTC for the 2025/26 financial year is N.dollars 284,116,925, which is an increase of N.dollars 38,121,100 from the previous year’s approved budget.
Local businessman Nanyemba Hafeni Katamba highlighted that Maria Mwengere Road is notably dirty, despite the RTC having placed a skip container there. He questioned whether the town council had invested in public education to address this issue. Katamba noted that the road is one of the busiest and filthiest in Rundu and sought clarity on the council’s plans.
Another business owner, Faustinus Wakudumo, shared similar concerns, stating that the RTC does not collect refuse from informal settlements. This has led to areas like the riverside becoming dumping grounds. Wakudumo questioned how the town plans to attract tourists under these conditions.
RTC’s Strategic Executive for Community Services, Fransiska Kupembona, acknowledged challenges in waste collection due to limited resources. She explained that only one refuse truck is operational, while the second is out of service due to mechanical issues. Currently, a private contractor handles refuse removal in formalized areas, while the council manages non-formalized zones with limited capacity.
Kupembona mentioned that the council initially intended to pilot service delivery improvements in non-formalized areas, but resource constraints halted these plans. To address the waste collection issue, the council has proposed a budget of N.dollars 800,000 to purchase skip containers for the 2025/26 financial year.