RUNDU – A Rundu family has been left frustrated by the local authority over contaminated water overflowing onto their home’s yard despite having reported the issue to the town council two months ago.  The home, situated in Rundu’s Tutungeni residential area, has been flooded with sewage, which has been attributed to a broken wastewater lift station. The broken lift station, which is connected to the town council’s sewerage network, has caused sewage water to flow through a manhole into the yard of Annastasia Kambinda. 

Sharing her ordeal with New Era, Kambinda said she was dissatisfied with the town council, which constantly failed to fix the lift station. 

She said the lift station has flooded her home every time it was out of order. She also accused council of not addressing the issue over the past two months. 

“It constantly breaks down, leaks and spills sewage water in my yard, as the manhole was built in my yard. This makes it uncomfortable for me with my children to even eat our meals because of the stench and sewage water flowing back to our pipes. Our health is really at risk,” she said. 

Kambinda added the problem of her house getting flooded dates back to 2013 when she bought the house through the National Housing Enterprise (NHE).

Although temporary measures were put in place back then by the town’s technical department, the situation has now spiralled out of control. 

“Last year, it got very worse that the whole yard was flooded to the brim and we couldn’t sleep at the house. During the time when Sebastian Kantema was appointed as administrator of the council after the councillors were expelled on 2 April last year, a letter of complaint was handed over to him,” she said. 

“We wrote a letter with my neighbours who are also affected by the sewer situation and Kantema said since the situation has not been sorted in such a long time, council had to look into the idea of at least removing the manhole or sceptic pipes should be moved out of my yard. However, since he left nothing, has been done.” 

Kambinda has threatened to take legal action against the local authority if the issue is not permanently resolved. 

When contacted for comment, Rundu spokesperson Benjamin Makayi said his office was not aware of the complaint. 

He promised to engage the town’s technical department for more information.

- jmuyamba@nepc.com.na