Patience Makwele
Katima Mulilo’s sewage crisis has reached breaking point, with residents, businesses and analysts warning that years of failing sanitation infrastructure are threatening public health, food safety, investment and the town’s economic future.
The latest alarm comes after sewage allegedly contaminated 64 bags of maize valued at N$27,648 while the grain was awaiting delivery to Kamunu depot, intensifying concerns over the impact of the town’s recurring sewer failures on businesses and livelihoods.
The incident has renewed calls for urgent intervention from authorities, with residents accusing leaders of allowing a problem that has existed for years to spiral out of control.
Kamunu owner Shiraz Bhamjee said the reported exposure of maize to sewage water demonstrates the seriousness of the crisis, warning that affected products cannot be allowed back into the food supply chain.
“If sewage water got into it, that thing is condemned. You cannot use it for human consumption. We cannot even put it into our silos because it will contaminate the other maize,” Bhamjee said.
Bhamjee said the incident was the first time his maize stock had been directly affected by sewage, but added that sewer problems have been affecting parts of Katima Mulilo as well as other areas where his businesses are located for years.
“Over there at Kamunu Village, you find the sewage is flowing all the time through the village. For years, we have been trying to sort this thing out with the council,” he said.
He said recurring sewer failures have now created uncertainty for businesses and investors, adding that he had been considering expanding agricultural storage facilities but was now reconsidering those plans because of the sanitation situation.
Bhamjee said he had intended to install silos for maize and mahangu storage and work with local farmers in the region but the ongoing sewage problems had created concerns about whether such an investment would be sustainable.
“You cannot invest in something like that when you have a situation where sewage can affect your products,” he said.
He further revealed that he had previously attempted to partner with the council on a community development project after acquiring land intended for a recreational facility, including sports facilities, showers, toilets and a community park.
Bhamjee said the project was meant to benefit residents but was halted after disagreements over the land arrangement.
He said the same challenges affecting sanitation, including shortages of equipment, vehicles and maintenance capacity continue to undermine service delivery.
Local analyst Dobson Kwala said the continued sewage failures point to deeper infrastructure and service delivery challenges that require urgent government intervention.
Kwala said the recurrence of sewage overflows, despite previous concerns being raised by residents and authorities acknowledging the problem, raises questions about whether existing measures have been effective.
“The issue is that we cannot continue having the same problems affecting communities year after year. There must be a serious intervention,” Kwala said.
Kwala warned that poor sanitation could expose residents to serious health risks, including possible disease outbreaks.
“Cholera and other diseases spread due to unhygienic conditions,” he said.
He said continued sewage flows could also discourage tourists and investors from coming to Katima Mulilo, affecting economic growth in the region.
“Investors will never come into a town that does not have proper infrastructure,” Kwala said.
He questioned how businesses could operate and expand when basic services such as sanitation remain unreliable.
Kwala suggested that resolving the crisis could also create employment opportunities if the government invests in infrastructure rehabilitation.
“If there is intervention to fix this infrastructure, it can also create opportunities for people through jobs,” he said.
He also raised concern about the location of sewage overflows near public facilities, including the hospital area.
“The hospital is right at the back of where the sewage is overflowing. How do you treat a patient in an environment where there is sewage?” Kwala questioned.
He called for the government to work with the town council to find a lasting solution, warning that poor sanitation infrastructure could have serious consequences for public health and economic development.
Fruit vendor and resident Mwaka Njekwa said residents have been forced to live with conditions they believe authorities have ignored for too long.
“What is happening here in Katima Mulilo is not nice. We are residents, we are the ones facing and inhaling the sewage every day,” Njekwa said.
She said the crisis has affected her business after she was forced to relocate from an area affected by sewage.
“Sometimes the stock that I used to sell and finish at the end of the day, I now have to resell it for two days,” she said.
Njekwa accused authorities of prioritising other projects while sanitation problems continue to worsen.
“Every year they are fixing roads. They are fixing roads and putting interlocks everywhere but you don’t see the sewage being fixed permanently,” she said.
She warned that authorities should not wait for a disease outbreak before acting.
“When we all start getting chronic diseases like cholera or when there is a new outbreak in the Katima Mulilo, that’s when they are going to take us seriously,” she said.
Njekwa also criticised political leaders from the region for failing to address the crisis affecting their own communities.
“We have politicians who are originally from this town who are here in town hosting and launching events but they are not saying anything about this sewage. They are busy fixing problems in other towns. What happened to “charity begins at home?” What examples are they setting if the town is stinking in every corner,” she said.
She called on leaders from the region, including those holding national positions, to work together to find a solution.
“They should reunite and see how they are going to resolve this. Not just to look at us when it is time for elections or when it is beneficial for them,” she said.
Njekwa said children, patients and businesses are among those suffering the consequences of the sanitation crisis.
“Our children are forced to go to schools where it reeks of nothing but sewage. You go to the hospital and sewage is just open behind the hospital. How can you treat a patient when there is sewage?” she asked.
The growing frustration comes amid videos circulating on social media showing sewage overflowing in several parts of Katima Mulilo, including residential areas, roads and areas close to public facilities.
The Katima Mulilo Town Council has previously announced plans to address sanitation challenges, but residents and businesses say they continue to wait for visible improvements.
The Windhoek Observer contacted Katima Mulilo Town Council Mayor Kabende Kabende for comment on the sewage crisis, the reported maize exposure incident and measures being taken to address the town’s sanitation challenges.
However calls and messages sent to the mayor were unanswered by the time of publication.
Efforts were also made to obtain comment from the deputy mayor Mabuku Mutonga and the acting chief executive Albert Sibeya however they all declined to comment and redirected this publication to the mayor.
