Hilarius Hamutenya
Pedestrians in Windhoek’s city centre find themselves burdened by their own waste as they navigate streets where dustbins are either out of sight or overflowing.
On Independence Avenue, from Sam Nujoma Avenue to John Meinert Street, about 20 small black dustbins are attached to streetlight poles.
However, these bins are often inadequate for the volume of waste generated.
The Windhoek Observer has observed that the five red bins from Rent-A-Drum are only collected twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays.
This infrequent collection leaves the streets littered with trash, as the limited number of bins quickly fill up.
Abner Hauwanga, a vendor who has been stationed in front of Specsavers for years, observes the frustration of pedestrians who resort to throwing rubbish on the streets due to the lack of accessible bins.
“People are forced to dump rubbish anywhere along the streets since the dustbins are not enough,” he says.
He and other vendors along the avenue note that the situation is particularly dire in front of Hungry Lion and Shoprite, where customers often discard ice cream cups and receipts on the pavement.
“The customers walk out of these shops and they drop their ice cream cups and receipts on the pavements and we get blamed for this,” Hauwanga adds.
On Tuesday, the Namibian Sun reported that Windhoek Mayor, Queen Kamati conducted site visits to six locations in the city.
Her tour focused on areas frequented by informal traders, assessing the cleanliness and regulatory compliance of these zones.
She expressed disappointment, particularly at the Shoprite taxi rank in the CBD.
“My observation so far is that it is very dirty. Despite efforts to accommodate informal traders, their practices often result in unclean conditions, especially in high-traffic areas. This is a major concern as it affects our city’s appearance and functionality,” she said.
Street cleaner Moses, who starts his day at 04h00 to pick up plastic bags and empty containers from the streets, shares his frustration.
“I come early to make sure the streets are clean because I cannot do it once motorists start parking their cars. My shift starts at 07h00 but I do this to avoid conflicts with the motorist,” he explains.
Moses said the visibility of waste on the streets impacts the city’s appearance and functionality.
“I get frustrated and annoyed if I see street kids removing rubbish from the bin when they are scavenging for food,” he says.
He and his colleagues, work until 13h00.
They agree with the mayor’s call for improved cleanliness.
They also express their concerns about inadequate safety gear and equipment, which hinder their ability to perform their duties effectively.
“How can you allow me to use the gloves for the whole month? It’s even unhygienic. They smell, not even safe, it has really impacted our health,” the cleaners say.
The street cleaners further reveal that they have been forced to sign new employment contracts introduced on 10 July. In addition to safety concerns, many street vendors also lack essential employment benefits, such as pensions and medical aid.
Ward11 Supervisor Likuwa Edward added that the municipality is facing challenges of salary delays for the workers and a lack of cleaning equipment.
Environmental education facilitator and director of Ecobrick Namibia Robyn Rohm said they are collaborating with Stone Valley who are willing to use the bricks bins which are made properly and covered with cement and do not degrade.
‘’Recycling is very important because unburned portions of the plastic become little on the ground and in lakes, and rivers as it disintegrates. Animals may eat the plastic and get sick,” she said.
She added that residue from burning of plastic bags contaminates the soil and groundwater which can enter the human food chain through crops and livestock.
“Let us clean and keep our environment clean,” she said.
