By Marx Itamalo |
SOME residents of the border town of Helao Nafidi are accusing the town council of charging them more for water than what they have in fact used.
The residents, some of whom Omutumwa spoke to, complain that for the past four months, they have seen unexplained increases on their water bills and this is despite the fact that they had not changed their water usage habits, or increased their monthly water usage.
They charge that the council has increased their bills without notifying them of any changes or tariff increases.
One of the residents, Soini Mateus, told Omutumwa that her water bill for the past years had always stood between N$500 and N$600 per month. However, from October 2025 until January this year, her water bill has skyrocketed to N$1,000 or more, she says.
“We are only three in the house and there are only a few neighbours whom we help with water,” Mateus said.
“They come get their water with containers and that cannot make the amount to be as it has been the past months. There should be something wrong in their system and they must address and rectify it.”
According to her, she had visited the Helao Nafidi town council offices two times, but no proper explanation was provided as to what really caused the sudden increase on the water bill.
Omutumwa reviewed several messages that the town council has send to Mateus’ number informing her of the amount to be paid as part of her monthly bill. The messages confirm her position.
Another resident also shared his dismay with Omutumwa newspaper regarding the matter. According to him, he was appalled when he returned from neighbouring Angola after spending three months there.
“I was there (Angola) for three consecutive months for work. Upon my return I was shown the bill and I was really shocked,” he stated.
“The increase was massive and I asked my people how they used the water. What I gathered from them was that they have used it the normal way we have been using our water. So, it’s something we really don’t understand.”
Self-employed local business person Alfons Amakali indicated that although he has a business where he sells traditional and local brews such as tombo and ginger, the increase on his water bill left him scratching his head for answers.
“I do sell traditional brews here and I know I use more water each day more than many people. But and then, for the past couple of months, they have increased the amount irresponsibly. These are hard times and there is no reason to increase water bills like that,” he seethed.
When contacted for a response, the town mayor Mr Darius Shaalukeni said that the matter is a misunderstanding. He indicated that the residents are billed for different services on a monthly basis and that this might have caused the confusion among the angry residents.
“We provide many services as council such as water, garbage removal, fire-fighting in case of a fire break out and ambulance service in case of medical emergencies and of course the residents have to pay their monthly plot charges.
“So, all those services have to be paid for by plot owners,” he stressed urging the residents to always visit council offices if and when certain issues look unclear to them.
In the photo: Water is one of the most expensive commodities at Helao Nadifi town. (Image by Mrjn Photography on Unsplash.)
