Niël Terblanché
The Tsumeb Municipality requested cooperation from all residents and business owners within the town’s boundaries for an ongoing survey that aims to count the number of ablution facilities on all residential and business premises.
The municipality’s chief executive officer, Victoria Kapenda, ssaid that this initiative, which started with door-to-door inspections in August 2023 as part of a resolution the town council approved.
Kapenda lamented the fact that the municipality encountered difficulties accessing some premises during the survey.
According to her, some properties were inaccessible either because there was no one on the premises or because residents denied enumerators entry to their homes.
“In light of these obstacles, the municipality is now urging property owners to allow staff access to their premises to complete the survey,” she said.
Kapenda explained that the definition of “premises” for this survey is broad, encompassing any land, building room, structure, tent, van, vehicle, stream, lake, dam, pool, lagoon, drain, or ditch, whether covered or enclosed, built on or not, and whether public or private, as long as it falls within the municipal boundaries.
“For those unable to accommodate the municipal staff during normal working hours, homeowners and business owners are advised to arrange a suitable time for the enumerators to visit in order to complete the survey,” she added.
Kapenda has indicated that residents who deny enumerators entry to their premises will face consequences for non-compliance.
“Failure to permit staff access as required will result in the council invoking Section 91 of the Local Authority Act, Act 23 of 1992, as amended. This could lead to fines not exceeding N$5 000 or imprisonment for up to 12 months,” she added.
She said that in cases of continued non-compliance, additional fines of up to N$500 per day may be imposed.
The chief executive officer reiterated the importance of the survey and added that it is aimed at ensuring that all properties are adequately equipped with the necessary ablution facilities.
“Cooperation from all residents and business owners is essential for the successful completion of this initiative, which ultimately aims to enhance public health and sanitation standards within the municipality,” she urged.
