Matheus Hamutenya
Warmbad-Warmbad residents want proper toilets and water in the comfort of their homes, with many frustrated that after so many years of independence they still use dry toilets and have to walk long distances to fetch water.
The frustrated residents demand that the situation must improve, saying they have not seen any significant improvements at the settlement since independence, as they still walk to fetch water, while those lucky to have a toilet use the dry toilets, while many still have no option but to go to the bush when nature calls.
Katrina Alberts, 37, told New Era that although some people have access to dry toilets, many still remain without toilets.
She added that while the residents have access to potable water, residents can fetch water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only, but the taps are closed for the rest of the week, and this she said is not good as people need water all the time, and therefore people should have taps in their yard to have access to water.
“If we had our own meters installed we would have access to water and even flushing toilets would be easier to set up,” she said.
Alberts, who had taken a five-minute walk to the nearest public tap with her containers on a wheelbarrow, narrated that residents pay about N$1 per 20-litre container of water, and she says although it is cheap, it could get better if all residents had their own taps.
Josef Swartz, 44, is also of the opinion that the residents’ situation can improve if water is brought to their houses, saying it is frustrating to use public taps, which are only accessible on certain days.
“The taps are not open all the time, that is why it is needed that residents get their own taps, then we can even set up our own flushing toilets, we really need taps of our own,” he said.