The CEO of Outapi Town Council, Nashilongo Ananias has expressed gratitude to residents and businesses that responded positively to settle debts as this saved council from having its water suspended by NamWater.
Nashilongo told New Era on Friday council is determined to settle part of its debts as per demand in the letter issued by NamWater to the council last month because residents and businesses responded very well redeeming some of the debts.

He said that in two days alone, the council collected more than N$1 million from the outstanding water bills owed by residents and businesses.

“I do not have the figures of the exact amount that we collected until today but all I can assure you is that the second day after the story runs in your newspaper, we have already collected more than one N$1 million. People are forth coming in a big number and I am sure if they continue doing it, the council will no longer have a huge amount of debts,” Nashilongo explained.

However, the CEO pointed out that there are those residents whose water is disconnected but they did not make any attempt to pay. He added that their names will be handed over to the debt collectors.
Nashilongo said the town council resorted to disconnect water of all the residents and business fraternity within the town that owe the council money, hoping to recover the N$28 million that the council is owed.
He said the disconnection of water situation is prompted by the action of NamWater that threatened to disconnect the town on the 20 March this year.

Nashilongo explained that the council received a letter from NamWater indicating that it must pay an amount of more than N$6 million before the mentioned date to avoid water suspension.

Although the CEO refused to name and shame the defaulters, a council source who spoke on condition of anonymity explained that business personalities in the town top the list of those indebted to the town council.
The source explained that the council has made several attempts to approach the residents and business people to settle their debts but this fell on deaf ears.

The source said most of  the government entities in the town also owe the council a lot of money.  Some of the entities are the Outapi hospital that owes 327 000, the ministry of safety that owes N$219 000, the ministry of agriculture (N$113  000) and Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila Special School that owes N$100  000.
-ljason@nepc.com.na