Martin Endjala
Samora Machel Constituency Councilor, Nestor Kalola, has urged residents to refrain from placing blame on him for poor service delivery, emphasizing that such responsibility rests with the City of Windhoek, not his office.
Speaking to the Windhoek Observer this week, Kalola mentioned that he’s noticed ongoing misplaced frustrations directed at him. Residents accuse him of breaking promises made during his election campaign.
“I’m uncertain where these residents derived the notion that I made such promises. Many of them, especially those in the Goreangab Dam informal settlement, weren’t even around when I was elected. They migrated from Katutura Central, Moses//Garoeb, and Tobias Hainyeko constituencies. These are the same individuals who claim I made these promises,” Kalola noted.
“I must clarify, I made no such promises. Moreover, service delivery falls under the purview of the local authority, not the regional council. There are specific tasks I can address for my community, but there are others beyond my scope—though I can certainly relay concerns to the appropriate bodies,” he said.
Kalola’s comments were in response to a petition signed last month by a group of residents demanding municipal services in informal settlements.
Explaining the legislative boundaries, Kalola pointed out that, as a regional council, he operates within the guidelines of the Regional Council Act no 22 of 1992. Meanwhile, local authorities function according to Act no 23 of 1992.
He therefore encouraged disgruntled residents to direct their grievances to the Windhoek Municipal Council.
“Despite the challenges, I am committed to assisting residents wherever possible. However, they must exercise patience and let me fulfil my duties.” Kalola said.
He mentioned that he has been consistently corresponding with the city council to ensure basic services are provided.
In related news, the city council recently unveiled plans to electrify approximately 4,000 households in informal settlements as part of its new five-year initiative.
A report by the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia indicates that about 25% of Namibians reside in informal settlements, highlighting a pressing challenge in urban development. A major associated issue is sanitation, with 33% of the surveyed households relying on open-air toilets, while half of the informal settlements lack any toilet facilities.
