Isai Sipunga

Pinehas Pinehas

A mere mention of Luderitz excites any updated Namibian or tourism aficionados.

The massive Waterfront infrastructure, the great scenery and sprawling leafy properties around the coastline are a testament of the town’s vibrancy.

Everything is headed towards Luderitz these days: awards, national conferences, international activities.

Alas, for the residents of Luderitz, there is a rotten secret to it all. Single Quarters.

This is a complete opposite from the Luderitz visitors are accustomed. It is the town’s best-kept secret, decorated by dilapidated buildings, vandalism, sanitation nightmares, and residents are about fed-up.

Local resident Christina Janse shared her frustration.

“It is dirty everywhere. No parent would want their children to play in a place like this. The rooms are so small, and there is no space for anything. We don’t even have enough room for proper cleaning. I approached the regional council for help, but they just told me to contact the town council. And here I am, still waiting to hear from them,” she stated.

Annancia Bostander, another resident who has been living at the compound for 22 years, described how bad things have gotten regarding sanitation.

 “The toilets don’t work. They have been turned into storage rooms. We are forced to use buckets, and throw the waste in the mountains. And when it’s hot, this brings flies to our homes, and it is a huge risk for our children who might contract diseases like hepatitis. We have tried to form a committee to discuss these problems with the council, but the mayor’s office won’t listen to us. They hardly ever come here to talk to us,” she said.

Town mayor Phillipus Balhao says council is aware of the squalid living situation of the residents at Single Quarters, which he recently visited, and had an engagement with them.

“We have reached out to the Office of the Prime Minister some time ago to request for funding from the Single Quarters’ Transformation Fund, and we are still waiting for a response,” he noted. He added that they were able to renovate the ablution facilities last year, but just a day after, one of the toilets was vandalised. 

While acknowledging that vandalism has contributed to the current state of the facilities, Balhao expressed sympathy, recognising the health hazards the situation poses for the residents. 

Elwin !Gaoseb,  the spokesperson of Lüderitz Town Council, said the town has tried to repair the ablution facilities multiple times, with the last upgrades done in the 2022/2023 financial year. 

But the facilities get vandalised repeatedly, making the endless repairs an expensive exercise for the town council.

On the dilapidated housing situation, !Gaoseb said the town in 2022 worked with the Trust Fund for Regional Development and Equity to acquire funding for new homes, and to demolish the old Nautilus Single Quarters. 

“We are hopeful that it will move forward, but we are still waiting for our funding request to be approved,” he added.

-isipunga@nepc.com.na 

-kandiwapapinehas754@gmail.com