Windhoek
President Hage Geingob said he would personally redeem the N$3000 municipal debt of a Katutura widow, whose water has been disconnected.
The elderly woman, identified as Magdalena Xoagus, spoke emotionally at Geingob’s interactive meeting yesterday with residents of the Khomas Region. Xoagus said she is unable to pay her monthly water and electricity bills.
“I have asked myself if I should kill myself as I have lost hope,” said the destitute pensioner. She said her husband, who was the breadwinner in the house, passed away last year and when she took over ownership of the house she also inherited the municipal debts.
Xoagus said she had signed a contract with the municipality to pay off the debt gradually, but – try as she might – she could not, as the amount was too high and the debts were accumulating.
She said in August her water bill stood at N$3000 and the municipality subsequently disconnected the water.
“I could not pay the bill and my tenants also deserted me, because I had no water,” she explained.
Geingob said the issue of senior citizens who are heavily indebted to various municipalities is a serious, nationwide crisis and government would address the problem in a holistic way to find a conclusive solution.
“We have a serious crisis with our elders,” he said and referred to businessman Knowledge Katti, who recently forked out N$100 000 to help senior citizens in Gobabis settle a municipal bill that collectively stood in excess of N$3 million. Katti also earlier this week donated N$200 000 to help destitute pensioners in Walvis Bay to settle their water arrears.
As if to bring home the point, one of the pensioners collapsed and had to be carried out while the town hall meeting was ongoing yesterday.
“I will personally undertake [to pay her bill], because of today’s meeting,” the president said. “The lady who was talking about water bills also collapsed, I’m told. I hope she is okay… We will help her to pay her water bills, but don’t think because it was done today it should be done every time you complain about it,” he cautioned.
New Era, however, later learnt shortly afterwards that it was not Xoagus who had collapsed as the president was briefed, but another of the pensioners at the meeting.
Geingob said the government would now look at how it could provide pensioners with some form of relief, noting specifically that his administration would consider writing off the pensioners’ debts. His response was met with resounding applause.
“We have to look into that. We have to seriously look into somehow writing off these historical debts. Some countries do it that. Senior citizens get 50 percent discounts, not in shops but on government things, like city buses,” Geingob said, adding that he also recently benefited from a 50 percent discount when he acquired a television licence.
“When they saw my age they gave me a 50 percent discount. I was shocked… I don’t think I’m old, but I was reminded that I’m old,” he said jokingly.