The City of Windhoek has announced plans to take legal action against a group of Katutura residents who dumped sewage at the municipality’s Katutura customer care centre on Monday in protest of ongoing sanitation issues.
According to City spokesperson Harold Akwenye, the municipality “will take lawful measures” against the approximately 20 protestors from Nama Tien, who are accused of disrupting public operations and creating a health hazard.
The demonstrators, led by community activist Shaun Gariseb, collected raw sewage that had reportedly been overflowing from a nearby riverbed into their homes and dumped it at the entrance of the municipal office to highlight their frustration.
Gariseb said the protest was a last resort after months of unaddressed complaints about persistent sewage leaks and foul smells in the area. “Residents have been forced to live in unbearable conditions, and our pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” he said.
Akwenye, however, condemned the protest, saying while the City understands residents’ frustrations, “there are proper channels to raise grievances.” He added that the municipality is already working to fix the sewage infrastructure in affected areas.
The protest drew widespread attention on social media, with many debating whether the residents’ actions were justified given the long-standing sanitation problems.
