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Namibia: NamWater Takes Over Khorixas Water Sales
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New Era (Windhoek)
29 July 2008
Posted to the web 29 July 2008
Irene !hoaës
Windhoek
The Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) will take over water sales in the Khorixas town as of August 1, 2008.
The Town Clerk of Khorixas, Nicodemus #Gaeseb, said that NamWater also wants to take over basic charges but that the council is not so keen on handing over that to the water utility.
"It is our main source of income, so we are still negotiating on that one," #Gaeseb told New Era.
#Gaeseb said NamWater is taking over in order to regulate and recover the money that the council owes it.
The Khorixas town council owes NamWater about N$12 million.
"NamWater is taking over the water sales until they recover the amount of money that we owe them," #Gaeseb added.
The town clerk also noted that they have started with sensitising consumers to pay their bills.
"Our people are not into the habit of paying for services, which is what contributes to the burden of the council," said #Gaeseb.
#Gaeseb said there are many council houses in Khorixas that are un-occupied and unpaid for, for many years, as previous occupants vacated the houses without informing the council that they are leaving the town.
"Sometimes they put in their relatives without telling the town council, thus nobody pays the bills, as the registered occupant is not living in the town anymore," he added.
Currently, close to 200 council houses are either unoccupied or unpaid for.
Meanwhile, NamWater confirmed that there is an intervention agreement between them and the Khorixas Town Council.
"The reason is that Khorixas is in arrears with NamWater," the Public Relations Officer of NamWater, Tommy Numbala, confirmed.
Numbala said the water utility introduced an accounting system that will split the income into normal income and water income.
"Water income will be paid to NamWater, that will cover the historic and current debt," Numbala noted.
Regarding the taking over of basic charges, Numbala stated that NamWater cannot claim basic charges that are derived from other services such as garbage and electricity but will only claim what is derived from water.
"What we need is everything that is due to us," he added.
NamWater have similar agreements with other town councils in arrears and those that are willing to cooperate.
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Other towns in similar arrangements are Karibib, Opuwo and Witvlei, among others.
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