Filth overwhelms Rundu
Lack of waste management and littering is causing Rundu economic harm.
The Kavango East Regional Youth Forum says Rundu's filthiness has led to a decline in tourists, while calling for serious intervention.
No one, including the Rundu town council, will dispute the fact that the town is indeed filthy, as every open space has been turned into a dumping site.
Apart from the hundreds of heaps of filth around the town, the council is also failing miserably to collect waste from business premises as well as private houses, despite monthly waste removal payments.
Namibian Sun has also observed how children as young as two are playing in filth at the town, at a time when government is running campaigns to fight the spread of diseases such as hepatitis, which stem from filthy environments.
The situation at Rundu has led to various organisations attempting to clean up the town, but to no avail.
Earlier this year, President Hage Geingob launched a national clean-up campaign. However, Rundu was not positively affected, and the town is getting dirtier by the day.
At the weekend, the Kavango East Regional Youth Forum embarked on a clean-up campaign in Rundu, after they realised it was hopeless to wait for other stakeholders to intervene.
Youth forum chairperson Anselm Marungu said it is an undeniable fact that Rundu is very filthy.
Marungu said with the rapid growth of the town's population, the piles of filth will continue to grow and urgent intervention is needed.
“Rundu is home to 90 000 people and it is an undeniable fact that our home is very dirty. The demand for waste collection services at our town has reached urgent levels and will continue to escalate if no crucial and radical intervention is provided. The demand will continue to be driven by population growth, privatisation and business creation,” Marungu said.
He explained the accumulation of refuse creates a fertile breeding ground for rodents and flies that are disease vectors, while the filth also affects the aesthetics of the environment. Marungu said the economic problems that come with a dirty town should be addressed, while making reference to the decline in the number of tourists visiting Rundu. The town, which is the capital of the Kavango East Region, was known to attract tourists because of its close proximity to the Okavango River, which tourists enjoy, especially at sunset.
Marungu said this is no longer the case.
“This is a big threat to our investors and will ultimately affect our local economy. There is a decline in the number of tourists who are visiting Rundu because of its condition,” he said.
Marungu said that while many only see the negative side of the filth currently bedevilling in Rundu, people should also look at the positive side, such as employment opportunities that can derived if recycling companies establish themselves within the riverside town.
“While this rubbish is a health hazard, we want to make use of it to create employment for the youth. We are calling on investors that have the capacity to venture into a waste recycling businesses to partner with us and create employment for our people,” Marungu said.
Acting Rundu CEO Sikongo Haihambo told Namibian Sun recently that the financial position of the council is not good, as much of its income is spent on paying off its N$60 million NamWater debt.
KENYA KAMBOWE
No one, including the Rundu town council, will dispute the fact that the town is indeed filthy, as every open space has been turned into a dumping site.
Apart from the hundreds of heaps of filth around the town, the council is also failing miserably to collect waste from business premises as well as private houses, despite monthly waste removal payments.
Namibian Sun has also observed how children as young as two are playing in filth at the town, at a time when government is running campaigns to fight the spread of diseases such as hepatitis, which stem from filthy environments.
The situation at Rundu has led to various organisations attempting to clean up the town, but to no avail.
Earlier this year, President Hage Geingob launched a national clean-up campaign. However, Rundu was not positively affected, and the town is getting dirtier by the day.
At the weekend, the Kavango East Regional Youth Forum embarked on a clean-up campaign in Rundu, after they realised it was hopeless to wait for other stakeholders to intervene.
Youth forum chairperson Anselm Marungu said it is an undeniable fact that Rundu is very filthy.
Marungu said with the rapid growth of the town's population, the piles of filth will continue to grow and urgent intervention is needed.
“Rundu is home to 90 000 people and it is an undeniable fact that our home is very dirty. The demand for waste collection services at our town has reached urgent levels and will continue to escalate if no crucial and radical intervention is provided. The demand will continue to be driven by population growth, privatisation and business creation,” Marungu said.
He explained the accumulation of refuse creates a fertile breeding ground for rodents and flies that are disease vectors, while the filth also affects the aesthetics of the environment. Marungu said the economic problems that come with a dirty town should be addressed, while making reference to the decline in the number of tourists visiting Rundu. The town, which is the capital of the Kavango East Region, was known to attract tourists because of its close proximity to the Okavango River, which tourists enjoy, especially at sunset.
Marungu said this is no longer the case.
“This is a big threat to our investors and will ultimately affect our local economy. There is a decline in the number of tourists who are visiting Rundu because of its condition,” he said.
Marungu said that while many only see the negative side of the filth currently bedevilling in Rundu, people should also look at the positive side, such as employment opportunities that can derived if recycling companies establish themselves within the riverside town.
“While this rubbish is a health hazard, we want to make use of it to create employment for the youth. We are calling on investors that have the capacity to venture into a waste recycling businesses to partner with us and create employment for our people,” Marungu said.
Acting Rundu CEO Sikongo Haihambo told Namibian Sun recently that the financial position of the council is not good, as much of its income is spent on paying off its N$60 million NamWater debt.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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