Hang your heads in shame

It is clear that the situation at Kuvukiland in Tsumeb is untenable. Something has to be done for the more than 6 000 people who are currently living without a decent sewerage system, without electricity, without any form of waste removal and without potable water.

Environmental impacts aside, even though they too, are of critical consideration, places such as these are breeding grounds not only for disease, but also for extreme violence and substance abuse.

The human spirit can endure a lot but, as we have seen, poverty and violence are positively correlated. And poverty and alcohol and substance abuse too, are positively correlated.

This is the world our children are growing up in. It is not a world that is conducive to good moral values, discipline, ethics or high standards.

These residents fight a daily battle to overcome and this is what their children are learning. This is the reality of their lives.

According to David Bly, your children will become what you are so be what you want them to be.

We have no doubt that in Kuvukiland, the outcome will be much of the same.

The Tsumeb town council should hang its head in shame that it has allowed such an abhorrent situation to continue. But there is no accountability for town councils. We have seen this repeatedly in the qualified audit opinions, the flawed tender processes, the excessive S&T and other allowances. Nothing is done, not anywhere in the country, and these local authority officers get away with it all.

The residents have handed in a petition but the town council spokesperson, Stella Imalwa-Nangolo said she was “not aware of new community complaints”.

This is the problem. New community complaints. When will the town council address the issue of Kuvukiland? When there is a massive outbreak of disease and children begin to die? Or when there is a massive outbreak of violence and children die?