WINDHOEK - Moses //Garoëb Constituency residents are appealing to the City of Windhoek to provide them urgently with electricity connections, as this could help reduce deadly shack fires.

Moses //Garoëb is one of the largest and most crowded Katutura constituencies, dotted with  makeshift shacks and informal settlements.

The constituency is home to 45 500 people, according to recent census figures.
More than 15 families lost their shelters in fire accidents between last year and this year, constituency councillor David Martin said in an exclusive interview with New Era.

People leaving candles burning when they go to sleep at night or to work in the early morning have been the main cause of fire accidents, said Martin.  

Last week, a 20-year-old woman in Havana settlement, in the same constituency, burnt to death while fast asleep. It was suspected that the deceased left a candle burning.

“We already wrote a proposal letter to the City of Windhoek asking them to provide us with electricity last month to prevent shack fires in our area,” said Martin.
They are waiting for the City of Windhoek to respond to the proposal. The councillor said many people in the settlement are able to pay for electricity if provided.

Meanwhile, the councillor also appealed to the municipality to provide more flushing toilets in the constituency.

The absence of proper and sufficient ablution facilities in the constituency has resulted in an unsanitary situation.
“There are some locations that do not have toilets. There are only 25 percent flushable toilets in our constituency,” said Martin.
He noted that the community is trying to build more toilets but they want the City of Windhoek to help them.

“I already sent them [City of Windhoek] a proposal letter but they always tell us that they do not have money although we have TIPEEG, which is in their hands, but our people did not benefit anything from that programme yet,” complained the councillor.

TIPEEG is the acronym for the Targeted Intervention Programme for Employment and Economic Growth through which government wants to effectively reduce high unemployment and create direct and indirect jobs through infrastructure development.