Patience Makwele
NamWater has defended its pricing model, insisting it should not be blamed for rising water bills faced by consumers, as concerns grow over the affordability of water and increasing municipal charges across the country.
The state-owned water utility says its tariffs have remained unchanged since 2019 despite rising operational costs, arguing that increases reflected on household municipal accounts are largely the responsibility of local authorities rather than NamWater.
The issue came under the spotlight during discussions at the 2026 Africa Public Service Day in Swakopmund, where government officials and stakeholders debated how Namibia can improve access to affordable water and sanitation.
Responding to concerns that water has become increasingly unaffordable, NamWater’s head of public relations and corporate communication, Lot Ndamanomhata, said the corporation has deliberately refrained from increasing its tariffs since 2019, despite applying for tariff adjustments during that period.
“NamWater has not received a tariff adjustment since 2019. None of our prices have changed since then. We are operating on costs based on 2019,” Ndamanomhata said.
He warned that supplying water below cost indefinitely would threaten the utility’s financial sustainability.
“People say water is expensive and the easiest solution is to say supply it for free. But if we do that, what happens to the corporation? You are going to bankrupt it,” he said.
His remarks came after concerns which were raised by the executive director in the Office of the Prime Minister Shivute Indongo, who questioned whether access to water was being undermined by its growing commercialisation.
Indongo argued that while water is recognised as a basic service, many Namibians, particularly those in rural communities, continue to struggle to afford it.
“I think the problem in Namibia is that we are commercialising water too much,” he said, adding that many local authorities continue disconnecting consumers despite water being regarded as an essential service.
Ndamanomhata rejected suggestions that NamWater was responsible for increases appearing on municipal accounts.
“If you see changes in your rates and taxes, it is your local authority not NamWater. We have been considerate and we have not made any changes,” he said.
To illustrate the corporation’s position, Ndamanomhata said NamWater purchases desalinated water for the Erongo Region at approximately N$55 per cubic metre but supplies it at around N$14 per cubic metre, absorbing a significant portion of the cost instead of passing it directly to consumers.
He acknowledged that expanding access to water remains expensive, saying the biggest challenge lies in financing major infrastructure projects rather than setting tariffs.
According to Ndamanomhata, government has had to finance several strategic projects, including the N$665 million Rundu Water Treatment Plant, the N$743 million Oshakati Water Treatment Plant, the N$200 million Naute-Keetmanshoop Pipeline and the N$2.1 billion Erongo desalination project.
“Is there a funding deficit in water infrastructure? We agree there is. Do we need additional funding? Yes. The challenge is how to secure that funding without placing further pressure on the national fiscus,” he said.
The discussion comes as Namibian households continue to face increasing living costs, with many municipalities recently adjusting tariffs for water, refuse collection and other basic services.
While NamWater maintains that its wholesale tariffs have remained unchanged for more than five years, consumers continue to feel the impact of rising municipal charges, highlighting the broader debate over balancing affordable access to water with the financial sustainability of service providers.
