Hundreds of ratepayers in Windhoek who owe the municipality about N$235 million have been handed over to the council’s lawyers for collection. According to figures obtained from the City of Windhoek, normal clients are in arrears of N$124 million, while the municipality is owed a substantial N$192 million in sundries and land sales. Windhoek mayor Fransina Kahungu recently announced that, as at 31 December 2019, residents owed N$935 million. This included a total of N$663 million owed to the municipality over 30 days before December, Kahungu said this during first monthly council meeting two weeks ago. Those who have their accounts in arrears are normal clients (N$123 million), businesses (N$16 million), while handovers and debtors accounted for N$234 million. Pensioners owed the municipality N$34 million, communal water points (N$414 million), State-Owned Enterprises (N$16 million), while government owed N$30 million. Kahungu called on residents to settle their municipal bills because without a financially sustainable city, provision of much needed services, would suffer. Kahungu further said the municipality is mindful of the economic hardship being experienced in the country, but the city, she said, needed to pay service providers to ensure the economy and services that many rely upon is sustained.
– sikela@nepc.com.na