Walvis Bay: The Walvis Bay Youth Forum has expressed concern over the current state of service delivery in the town, describing the once-prized coastal hub as ‘dirty’ and unfit for dignified living. The forum, established under Section 41 of the National Youth Council Act No. 3 of 2009, voiced the growing frustrations of local residents over the municipality’s failure to deliver basic services during a press conference on Wednesday.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the chairperson of the Walvis Rural Constituency Forum, Patricia Munyala, highlighted that Walvis Bay is plagued by widespread waste mismanagement, poor sewage infrastructure, unsafe roads, and unhygienic public spaces. The forum claims these issues are endangering public health and the local environment.
‘Garbage is lying all around the streets because the municipality refused to deliver the essential services which we rate-payers in Walvis Bay pay for. We pay for a service that is not rendered. That is unacceptable. We need Walvis Bay clean,’ she expressed.
The forum accused the Walvis Bay Municipal Council and its management of negligence, further questioning whether municipal leaders even reside in the town, given their apparent detachment from the worsening conditions.
Secretary of the forum’s rural wing, Immanuel Festus, called for the state of affairs in the town to be declared a state of emergency, noting that it is at a point of no return. The group further warned that the condition of the roads, characterized by potholes and uneven surfaces, poses serious safety hazards and causes damage to vehicles, especially those belonging to residents and tourists.
This public outcry comes amid growing pressure on the Walvis Bay Municipal Council to address long-standing concerns related to sanitation and urban management. It has also drawn criticism from the newly appointed Chairperson of the Erongo Regional Council Management Committee, Florian Donatus, who addressed these concerns in his maiden speech last month.
In that speech, Donatus acknowledged the poor state of services in Walvis Bay and committed the regional leadership to working closely with local authorities to improve basic services and infrastructure. ‘We cannot allow a strategic town like Walvis Bay to deteriorate to such a state. Service delivery must be prioritised and residents deserve to see results, not empty promises,’ he said at the time.
Donatus also underscored the importance of collaborative governance, urging councillors, administrators, and national government to act with urgency. ‘If we are to preserve Walvis Bay’s position as a key economic driver in this country, we must invest in cleaning up, repairing roads, and restoring dignity to the people,’ he said.