Allexer Namundjembo
Residents and community activists say the City of Windhoek’s failure to provide adequate electricity in informal settlements has contributed to widespread illegal electricity connections, arguing that access to affordable and legal electricity would significantly reduce the practice.
Their remarks come after the municipality announced that it will begin removing illegal electricity connections in several informal settlements from September.
Havana resident Marcus Hailonga said the debate over illegal connections would not exist if residents had been provided with electricity.
“This whole discussion would not take place if the residents had electricity. The directive issued by the municipality has already shown how incompetent the leadership is,” he told the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday.
Hailonga said providing electricity remains the only sustainable solution to illegal connections. “It has been a major issue for us who live in the informal settlements. We need electricity, and that is it,” he said.
Windhoek-based activist Shaun Gariseb said the City’s rural and informal settlement electrification programme is guided by its Five-Year Electrification Plan (2023–2028), which seeks to address a long-standing electrification backlog.
He said the programme has connected more than 8 000 households and recently allocated N$33 million to electrify more than 1 300 additional households in areas including Okahandja Park, Havana, and the Windhoek Rural Constituency.
“Why don’t they talk about that? The City of Windhoek must do more than cut illegal connections,” Gariseb said.
He added that expanding electricity infrastructure, lowering connection costs, speeding up legal connections, and engaging affected communities would provide residents with affordable alternatives to illegal connections.
Community activist Sem David echoed the sentiment, saying the high number of illegal electricity connections in areas such as Otjomuise, Havana, Hakahana, Okuryangava, and Goreangab Dam could have been significantly reduced if the municipality had provided accessible, affordable, and properly planned electricity services.
“Illegal connections often happen because people are living in areas where electricity is either not available, not formally provided, or too difficult to access through legal channels. Residents still need electricity for lighting, cooking, charging phones, studying, running small businesses, and safety at night. Many residents rely on those connections because they have no option,” David said.
While acknowledging the reasons behind the practice, David stressed that illegal electricity connections remain dangerous and cannot be justified.
“They can cause electrocution, fires, damage to infrastructure, and even death, especially where children and vulnerable residents are involved,” he said.
David urged the City to combine enforcement with practical solutions, including consulting affected communities before removing illegal connections and developing a clear electrification plan for informal settlements.
He further stated that the City must provide safe temporary electricity solutions where permanent infrastructure will take time, regularise settlements where possible, and create legal pathways for residents to access electricity.
“Removing illegal connections without providing a solution will not end the problem; it may only push residents to reconnect again. The real solution is planned, affordable, and safe access to electricity,” he said.
On Monday, the City of Windhoek Municipality announced that it will commence a city-wide operation to remove illegal electricity connections in informal settlements from September 2026.
The exercise will target areas including Otjomuise, Hakahana, Okuryangava, Havana, and Goreangab.
According to the municipality, the action follows an increase in illegal and unsafe electricity connections, which it says pose serious threats to lives, property, and the integrity of the city’s electricity infrastructure.
