Adolf Kaure
Over 23% of urban residents in Khomas do not have access to flushing toilets. This is according to the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) Khomas 2023 Census Regional Profile report, which was launched this week by Khomas region Governor Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma.
The report’s data indicates that 16.9% of urban residents in the Khomas region practise open defecation in the bush, riverbed fields or plastic bags. From these residents, 35.3% are from the Moses Garoeb constituency, while the Tobias Hainyeko (30.4%) and Samora Machel (27.1%) constituencies also have a bulk of their residents practising open defecation.
The data also reveals that 2.7% of urban residents in the region use pit latrines with ventilation pipes, while 1.9% use pit latrines without ventilation pipes. Other household amenity statistics that were captured by the census revealed that 17% of urban Khomas residents had no toilet facility, while only 1.4% do not have access to safe drinking water.
The main source of water for drinking was boreholes and boreholes with covered tanks (67.1%) in rural Khomas.
According to NSA chief statistician Alex Shimuafeni, the increase in urbanisation in the Khomas region by 3.1% (from 95.2% in 2011 to 98.3%) placed a strain on the availability of amenities for residents.
“This puts pressure on housing, water, sanitation, electricity, transport, and employment in towns. Risk of informal settlements expanding without adequate planning,” said Shimuafeni.
The population of the Khomas region increased by 45%, from 342,141 in 2011 to 494 605 in 2023. Shimuafeni also noted a bulk of the population in the region are youth who are under the age of 15.
“This is indicative of the need for investment in education, vocational training, and job creation. Risk of rising unemployment,” he said.
Other factors which will impact decision-making include the persistent unemployment rate among the working class in the region, which was measured at 34.4%.
“Young people are disproportionately affected. Structural reforms are needed to align education with job market needs,” he said.
The statistician general further stated that poor sanitation in the region undermines effective planning and targeted interventions, and the rise in shacks caused by urban migration provides challenges for urban planners and local governments in zoning and service delivery.
Additionally, the NSA will also release the Census of Agriculture 2026 to provide an understanding of the structure, performance, and dynamics of the agricultural sector. The pilot for this census is slated for June 2026 pending funding.
– akaure@nepc.com.na
Photo: Heather Erdmann