Patience Makwele
Open defecation remains a major sanitation challenge in Namibia, with almost half of the country’s population still lacking access to improved sanitation and rural communities bearing the greatest burden.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 47.2% of Namibians still practise open defecation, while the figure rises to 70.9% among households in rural communities.
The sanitation gap is part of wider inequalities in access to basic services, with where a child lives and their socio-economic circumstances continuing to influence whether they have access to clean water and adequate sanitation.
Prime minister Elijah Ngurare said the situation should not be viewed merely as an infrastructure challenge, as inadequate water and sanitation directly affects children’s ability to live, learn and develop with dignity.
“There are still communities where reliable access to safe water is difficult. There are schools and households where sanitation infrastructure remains inadequate,” Ngurare said at the opening of the fourth junior National Council in Windhoek on Monday.
The session, attended by 42 learners representing Namibia’s 14 regions, is being held under the theme “Towards Universal Access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Every Namibian Child.”
UNICEF deputy country representative Toshiko Takahashi said inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene expose children to illness, contribute to school absenteeism and can affect their ability to learn and develop.
For girls in particular, she said, access to safe and private sanitation facilities is essential for their dignity, safety and continued participation in school.
While Namibia has made significant progress in providing access to basic water services, sanitation remains a deeper concern.
UNICEF figures show that 93.9% of Namibians have access to basic water services nationally.
However, major regional disparities remain, with access standing at 99.8% in Khomas compared with 79.8% in //Kharas and 77.3% in Kunene.
Only 66.6% of Namibians have access to improved sanitation, highlighting the gap between water access and adequate sanitation.
Ngurare said Namibia had made progress in expanding public services since independence, but drought, long distances, infrastructure constraints and population growth continue to place pressure on water resources and service delivery.
Under the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), the government aims to increase household access to potable water from 90.75% to 94.8% by 2030. Basic sanitation access is targeted to increase from 57.15% to 64.2% over the same period.
Ngurare said the government plans to expand water-supply infrastructure in urban, peri-urban and rural communities, increase sanitation coverage and improve coordination across the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector.
However, he stressed that building infrastructure alone would not resolve the country’s water and sanitation challenges.
“It requires investment in infrastructure, but equally in maintenance, innovation, conservation and responsible use,” he said.
Ngurare also urged the young representatives to approach Namibia’s water and sanitation challenges as problem-solvers, saying some of the solutions the country will need in the coming decades could emerge from the learners participating in the junior National Council.
“You are citizens of Namibia now,” he told them, noting that issues including climate change, education, opportunities, clean water and dignified sanitation already affect young people.
National Council chairperson Lukas Muha said the junior National Council was established to provide school-going youth with a platform to express their views and debate issues affecting their communities, regions and the country.
The initiative was formalised through a National Council motion in 2013 and inaugurated in 2017. Three learners from each of Namibia’s 14 regions are selected, bringing the membership to 42.
Fritz Hangue, chairperson of the fourth junior National Council, said the position carries a responsibility to ensure young Namibians’ voices are heard and translated into meaningful ideas and recommendations.
“It represents a responsibility to serve as a facilitator, a listener, and a leader,” Hangue said.
Takahashi urged the junior councillors to remember children who may never have an opportunity to sit in a parliamentary chamber, including those struggling to access clean water, learners missing school because of difficulties at home, children living with disabilities and young people who lack the confidence to speak.
“When you speak here, remember them too,” she said.
National Council vice-chairperson Emma Muteka challenged the young delegates to use their influence responsibly, particularly on social media.
“You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are the leaders of today,” Muteka said, urging them to use their platforms to educate, build businesses, promote their communities and advocate for causes.
“Followers are not the same as leadership and going viral is not the same as making an impact,” she said.
Ngurare urged the junior councillors to consider the different realities across Namibia’s regions when developing solutions, noting that the challenges facing communities in Kunene may differ from those experienced in Zambezi.
He challenged them to ask a simple question when making proposals saying: “Whose life will this improve?”
The fourth Junior National Council session runs until 4 September.
