Sostenus Wilherm
Poor waste management is increasingly attracting baboons into Windhoek communities, with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah warning that exposed food waste is creating conditions that can bring wildlife into close contact with residents and potentially put vulnerable people at risk.
The warning was delivered by prime minister Elijah Ngurare on behalf of Nandi-Ndaitwah during the commemoration of World Cleanup Day and the relaunch of the National Cleanup Namibia Campaign in Windhoek on Saturday.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the growing presence of baboons in residential areas demonstrates that poor waste management is no longer simply an issue of litter and untidy surroundings but can have wider consequences for communities.
“In Windhoek, we have seen another consequence of poor waste management that should concern all of us: the increasing presence of baboons in areas where they should not be,” she said.
The President identified areas such as Goreangab and Havana among places where the problem has become noticeable, saying careless disposal of waste and exposed food can attract baboons and other animals.
“When waste is carelessly discarded or food waste is left exposed, it can attract baboons and other animals,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She warned that the animals can become accustomed to human settlements when they repeatedly find food in residential and public spaces.
“Baboons may appear harmless when seen from a distance, but when they become accustomed to human settlements and begin searching for food among households and public spaces, they can become a serious nuisance and, in some circumstances, a danger to society,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said children, older people and other vulnerable members of communities could be particularly exposed to the risks associated with wildlife entering residential areas.
Her warning came as the government relaunched the Cleanup Namibia Campaign, which seeks to address littering, illegal dumping and poor waste management through public awareness, community participation and behavioural change.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia’s environmental cleanliness has deteriorated despite existing legislation and municipal waste management programmes, arguing that government measures alone cannot solve the problem.
“Legislation and municipal services alone will not solve the problem. We need a change in behaviour,” she said.
She said the campaign should therefore become part of everyday life rather than being treated as an occasional clean-up exercise.
“Let us make cleanliness a habit, not an event. Let us make responsible waste management part of our national culture,” she said.
She also linked poor waste management to public health, sanitation and the country’s environmental reputation.
She said improperly managed waste can create conditions for waste-borne diseases, contaminate surroundings and water sources, attract pests and animals, and put additional pressure on municipalities and public health systems.
The consequences, she said, also extend to livestock, biodiversity, tourism and the overall appearance of towns and cities.
Windhoek’s former reputation as one of Africa’s cleanest cities was also raised as part of the call for renewed action.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the city lost its position to Kigali, Rwanda, in 2016, describing the development as a wake-up call rather than merely the loss of a title.
The government subsequently launched the Cleanup Namibia Campaign in 2018, with the ministry of environment, forestry and tourism and the ministry of information and communication technology tasked with driving the initiative under the Nationhood and National Pride Programme.
The renewed campaign will focus on three main objectives, raising public awareness about proper waste management and responsible disposal, mobilising communities and other stakeholders to participate in coordinated clean-up activities, and encouraging behavioural change through waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also urged Namibians to view waste as a potential economic resource rather than simply rubbish.
“Do not only ask, ‘Where can I throw this away?’ Ask instead, ‘What can I make from this? What value can I create from it? What business can I build from it?’” she said.
She challenged young people, innovators, entrepreneurs, students and researchers to develop businesses around plastic, glass, paper, metals and organic waste.
The President cited Windhoek’s waste buy-back centre as an example of how recyclable materials can be turned into economic opportunities while helping keep communities clean.
She further called on parents, businesses, schools, municipalities and communities to take responsibility for maintaining clean surroundings.
“A clean Namibia will not be created by the government alone,” she said, adding that businesses must take responsibility for the waste they generate, while municipalities must provide effective waste management services.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also connected sanitation to the broader cleanliness campaign, directing that access to sanitation and housing be prioritised under disaster risk management.
“The clarion call, therefore, is sanitation for every Namibian in all our local authorities, our schools, clinics, villages in 121 Constituencies of our 14 Regions,” she said.
She said sanitation must include access to decent and adequate toilet facilities in both urban and rural areas.
Nandi-Ndaitwah ultimately declared the 2026 National Cleanup Namibia Campaign officially relaunched, calling on Namibians to change their behaviour and restore cleanliness across the country.
Poor waste management fuels baboon threat in Windhoek
Sostenus Wilherm
Poor waste management is increasingly attracting baboons into Windhoek communities, with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah warning that exposed food waste is creating conditions that can bring wildlife into close contact with residents and potentially put vulnerable people at risk.
The warning was delivered by prime minister Elijah Ngurare on behalf of Nandi-Ndaitwah during the commemoration of World Cleanup Day and the relaunch of the National Cleanup Namibia Campaign in Windhoek on Saturday.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the growing presence of baboons in residential areas demonstrates that poor waste management is no longer simply an issue of litter and untidy surroundings but can have wider consequences for communities.
“In Windhoek, we have seen another consequence of poor waste management that should concern all of us: the increasing presence of baboons in areas where they should not be,” she said.
The President identified areas such as Goreangab and Havana among places where the problem has become noticeable, saying careless disposal of waste and exposed food can attract baboons and other animals.
“When waste is carelessly discarded or food waste is left exposed, it can attract baboons and other animals,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She warned that the animals can become accustomed to human settlements when they repeatedly find food in residential and public spaces.
“Baboons may appear harmless when seen from a distance, but when they become accustomed to human settlements and begin searching for food among households and public spaces, they can become a serious nuisance and, in some circumstances, a danger to society,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said children, older people and other vulnerable members of communities could be particularly exposed to the risks associated with wildlife entering residential areas.
Her warning came as the government relaunched the Cleanup Namibia Campaign, which seeks to address littering, illegal dumping and poor waste management through public awareness, community participation and behavioural change.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia’s environmental cleanliness has deteriorated despite existing legislation and municipal waste management programmes, arguing that government measures alone cannot solve the problem.
“Legislation and municipal services alone will not solve the problem. We need a change in behaviour,” she said.
She said the campaign should therefore become part of everyday life rather than being treated as an occasional clean-up exercise.
“Let us make cleanliness a habit, not an event. Let us make responsible waste management part of our national culture,” she said.
She also linked poor waste management to public health, sanitation and the country’s environmental reputation.
She said improperly managed waste can create conditions for waste-borne diseases, contaminate surroundings and water sources, attract pests and animals, and put additional pressure on municipalities and public health systems.
The consequences, she said, also extend to livestock, biodiversity, tourism and the overall appearance of towns and cities.
Windhoek’s former reputation as one of Africa’s cleanest cities was also raised as part of the call for renewed action.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the city lost its position to Kigali, Rwanda, in 2016, describing the development as a wake-up call rather than merely the loss of a title.
The government subsequently launched the Cleanup Namibia Campaign in 2018, with the ministry of environment, forestry and tourism and the ministry of information and communication technology tasked with driving the initiative under the Nationhood and National Pride Programme.
The renewed campaign will focus on three main objectives, raising public awareness about proper waste management and responsible disposal, mobilising communities and other stakeholders to participate in coordinated clean-up activities, and encouraging behavioural change through waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also urged Namibians to view waste as a potential economic resource rather than simply rubbish.
“Do not only ask, ‘Where can I throw this away?’ Ask instead, ‘What can I make from this? What value can I create from it? What business can I build from it?’” she said.
She challenged young people, innovators, entrepreneurs, students and researchers to develop businesses around plastic, glass, paper, metals and organic waste.
The President cited Windhoek’s waste buy-back centre as an example of how recyclable materials can be turned into economic opportunities while helping keep communities clean.
She further called on parents, businesses, schools, municipalities and communities to take responsibility for maintaining clean surroundings.
“A clean Namibia will not be created by the government alone,” she said, adding that businesses must take responsibility for the waste they generate, while municipalities must provide effective waste management services.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also connected sanitation to the broader cleanliness campaign, directing that access to sanitation and housing be prioritised under disaster risk management.
“The clarion call, therefore, is sanitation for every Namibian in all our local authorities, our schools, clinics, villages in 121 Constituencies of our 14 Regions,” she said.
She said sanitation must include access to decent and adequate toilet facilities in both urban and rural areas.
Nandi-Ndaitwah ultimately declared the 2026 National Cleanup Namibia Campaign officially relaunched, calling on Namibians to change their behaviour and restore cleanliness across the country.
