It has become increasingly evident that the residents of Katima Mulilo share a collective understanding; our local authority continues to fail in its core mandate to develop the infrastructure necessary to deliver essential services to the town and its residents. For far too long, the Katima Mulilo Town Council has operated without a clear strategy for change or a comprehensive service delivery plan capable of addressing the town’s growing challenges.
At the centre of public outrage lie persistent allegations of irregular land allocations, both residential and commercial, compounded by systemic corruption and consistently substandard performance among council members entrusted with the town’s welfare and future.
These land disputes have not only eroded public trust in local leadership but have also deepened social divisions in Katima Mulilo.
It has become emblematic of a broader governance crisis at both local and regional levels. Increasingly, public accountability has been replaced by a culture of camaraderie and nepotism that favors a politically connected few at the expense of the majority.
Beyond the issue of land, the state of basic service delivery is ominous. Waste collection routines are irregular and inconsistent, while the town’s overall solid waste management system is in disarray at the very least. Residents in areas such as Mahohoma and Mafuta have been forced to rely on a Botswana-based company, for the drainage of their septic tanks, which is nearly triple the cost and they continue to pay the council for the same service.
The deterioration extends to the town’s physical infrastructure. Roads are consistently plagued by potholes, and power outages, particularly during the rainy season and have become a frustrating norm. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Katima Mulilo, peri-urban settlements continue to expand at a rate that far outpaces the development of infrastructure and service provision.
This unchecked growth has reinforced stark social divides between the urban core and the peripheral communities. It has deepened inequality and exposes the absence of forward-thinking urban planning with our past and current leaders.
In sum, Katima Mulilo stands as a reflection of total governance failure. A town where neglect, poor planning, and lack of accountability have combined to erode both public confidence and the promise of growth.
Youth unemployment and economic strain
Once dubbed the green basket of Namibia, our people have become disillusioned by repeated promises of empowerment made during election campaigns. Once the ballots are counted and the election kits are packed away for storage at the head office in Windhoek West, those promises fade into silence — unfulfilled and forgotten until the next campaign cycle begins.
Despite the Zambezi Region’s rich environmental assets, the tourism industry which is arguably one of its most valuable economic sectors, has yet to deliver tangible, sustainable benefits to local communities, whether urban, peri-urban, or rural. Opportunities that should uplift the region’s residents are instead concentrated in the hands of a few, leaving the majority excluded from the gains of local development.
The most troubling reality, however, is that we continue to elect leaders who are either corrupt or clueless. Until that cycle is broken, the region will remain trapped in a pattern of political drama without progress, and the promise of true empowerment will remain nothing more than a slogan and distant dream.
Climate pressure
The Zambezi region’s geographic position makes it one of Namibia’s most flood-prone areas. Seasonal floods and extreme weather events continue to threaten homes and livelihoods, especially in low-lying communities such as Ikaba and Nakutwe etc.
Yet disaster preparedness remains weak, and investment in drainage systems and climate adaptation has been minimal, if not entirely absent.
Rather than reacting to each flood season with temporary measures, regional leaders should be engaging with organisations like the Global Environmental Fund and the Environmental Investment Fund in collaboration with MEFT to secure financing for climate-resilient projects that could both protect and empower local communities and in sense reduce migration to Katima Mulilo.
The region is uniquely positioned to leverage such grants for sustainable development, but the lack of proactive leadership has left that potential untapped.
The case for new leadership
If the voices from the town’s settlements, markets, and suburbs are any indication, the Zambezi electorate should vote right this time around.
For Katima Mulilo and the wider Zambezi region, the choice is not simply between political entities, but between continued stagnation and the promise of renewal and change. I am voting Katima Alliance Development Association for change for Katima Mulilo local authority in November 2025.
Sitwala Jr. Kaapala is a KADA affiliate