Patience Makwele
The City of Windhoek is facing harsh scrutiny over the deteriorating condition of Zoo Park, with members of parliament questioning the municipality’s handling of public recreational spaces and raising concerns about safety, maintenance and the park’s long-term revival.
Chief executive officer Moses Matyayi said the municipality could no longer guarantee safety in certain areas of the park, warning that members of the public could be injured and that the municipality could face legal claims.
He made the remarks to the parliamentary standing committee on economy and industry, public administration and planning during a briefing on the council’s economic development on Tuesday.
“There are certain aspects that we cannot guarantee safety based on our assessment,” Matyayi said.
The concerns came as the local authority continues to pursue landscaping and irrigation improvements at the park while considering a broader rehabilitation plan.
The municipality has advertised a procurement process to prequalify service providers for horticultural landscaping, greenery enhancement and irrigation upgrades over six months.
The tender closes on 17 November 2026.
During the hearing, members of parliament questioned the deterioration of public recreational spaces and the lack of safe areas where residents can relax and participate in social activities.
MP Vaino Angula questioned why the Zoo Park amphitheatre, which previously hosted shows and television launches, had reportedly remained unused for more than 15 years.
Matyayi said the council was considering measures to address immediate safety concerns while exploring options to finance a comprehensive revamp, including possible private-sector involvement.
He did not provide a cost estimate or timeline for the full rehabilitation during the hearing.
The latest procurement follows a November 2023 council decision to enter into a memorandum of agreement with Innovate Group to coordinate private-sector financial or technical support for the park’s renovation.
The proposed arrangement included a maintenance component intended to reduce the municipality’s maintenance and security costs over 10 years.
However, publicly available information does not establish whether the agreement was implemented, how much funding was secured or what work was completed under the proposed partnership.
In 2023, the park’s annual revenue was reported to be less than N$15 000, while monthly security costs stood at about N$12 000 and horticultural maintenance at N$25 700.
These historical figures do not establish the park’s current income or expenditure.
In July this year, the municipality also advertised an expression of interest for feasibility studies to assess the viability of parks and recreational business opportunities across Windhoek.
That process closed on 3 September 2026 and was separate from the latest Zoo Park landscaping procurement.
The Windhoek Observer sent questions to Matyayi seeking clarification on the status of the 2023 agreement with Innovate Group, the estimated cost and scope of the current landscaping work, and the anticipated timeline for improvements.
He had not responded by the time of publication.
“We are currently going to be going out on tender to actually look at how we mitigate the current situation while we’re looking at the current plan?” Matyayi said during the hearing.
