OSHAKATI – The Oshakati Multi-Purpose Youth Centre, under the youth and sports ministry, has had no water since last December after the local town council disconnected the service due to an outstanding bill of over N$100 000.
Youth workers who spoke to New Era on condition of anonymity claimed that they had been complaining of this issue for months – but up to now, there has been no response.
The 18 employees said they report for duty daily but only work for less than three or four hours and then leave since there is no water.
“We cannot work like this; we are human beings,” they told New Era.
The situation was confirmed by MYPC senior youth officer Diina Shikufa, who said she was aware of the situation but could not say anything further, as she was not the right person to talk to.
The municipality confirmed the water had been cut to the centre after informing the ministry in advance.
Executive director of the line ministry Mbumba Erastus Haitengela explained the delay in settling this outstanding account was unfortunately caused by the outstanding reconciliation of invoices between their office and the Oshakati Town Council.
“The amount being disputed as being unpaid belongs to the period of Covid-19 – during 2020/2021 – when most of the invoices were sent by post to the office and not collected physically by the staff members at the centres as it did in the past,” he said.
Haitengela said this resulted in some of the invoices being unaccounted for and not paid timely.
He added that they have on numerous occasions requested the town council to provide them with duplicate copies of invoices of that time to reconcile with what they have paid before and what is alleged to be the outstanding amount, and they were told that council was unable to provide them with duplicates of old invoices, as they have emigrated to a new financial system.
“This impasse has been going on for some time now. Once we are done with the reconciliation of payments we made so far, we will definitely settle what the ministry owes the town council on or before the 12 of August 2023,” Haitengela assured.
He said they have made enough budgetary provisions to settle all legitimate utility invoices for all our facilities.
The ED added that staff members do come to the office even though they are facing this challenge.