Tsumeb
The former Mayor of Katima Mulilo, Charles Matengu, has listed the reduction of Katima Mulilo Town Council’s debt by N$18 million as one of his achievements during his tenure in office.
Matengu said at the time he resumed office in 2011 he found the council submerged in NamWater debts amounting to N$42 million, but he managed to reduce it to N$24 million in a span of five years.
Matengu emphasised that the council was in a financial crisis and had to rely on an overdraft to pay employees’ salaries. The council’s poor financial state was attributed to the lack of aggressiveness in collecting expected revenue from water bills, among others.
“There was a lack of aggressiveness to collect revenues, which was supposed to boost the revenue base, and this was the reason for the high debt, but since then we have taken drastic measures and things have fallen into order,” stated Matengu.
Such drastic measures include the establishment of the town council’s guesthouse, which eased the financial situation as the council could generate income from it, thus reducing the pressure on the council’s finances.
It is further understood that council at the time still owed large amounts in tax and outstanding medical claims. “We broadened our strategies. That’s how we decided to come up with the idea of the guesthouse. Furthermore, we generated extra income through council machinery and equipment that were rented out, as well as facilities. That’s how we managed to put all these things to rest,” he stated.
Under his leadership, Matengu said, they accomplished a number of things, such as sorting out the water issue that has been hampering the town by drilling boreholes in the three informal settlements of Cowboy, Macaravani and Mahohoma, which will soon be delinked from NamWater supply system. The installation of water taps at every house in informal settlements, allocation and servicing of land in various areas, construction of a N$2.5 million fire brigade station, upgrading of roads and the establishment of an open market in Chotto were among the notable things he listed.
“The achievements are not only for me, but the region and the nation at large. It was also made possible because of our predecessors, who had initiated these strategies. For us it was just a speedy implementation of the process and most importantly teamwork,” Matengu concluded.
Matengu is now the deputy mayor of Katima Mulilo, as in an interesting change of political fortunes he lost his seat last year to Georgina Mwiya-Simataa, who previously deputised him.