Namibia: N$450m Katima Wastewater Project Flows

Katima Mulilo — Construction of the long-awaited Katima Mulilo Wastewater Treatment Plant is set to move ahead following the official handover of the project site to Fulbright Water yesterday.

Katima Mulilo Town Council mayor Kabende Kabende said the project, valued at N$450 million, had been delayed by challenges surrounding the environmental clearance certificate and the relocation of residents from the plant's 250-metre buffer zone.

"We have received our clearance to commence with the construction," Kabende said.

He said the project includes the construction of the wastewater treatment plant and the upgrading of sewer pump stations and rising mains, as well as expanding the sewer network to accommodate the town's planned expansion east of Katima Mulilo.

Kabende said the council had successfully relocated people who had occupied the project area illegally, warning that law enforcement would remove any new illegal structures.

Meanwhile, project manager Scott Richards said about 70% to 75% of the current workforce is from the Zambezi region.

He said 40 employees are currently working on the sewer and pump station works, with the workforce expected to exceed 100 once construction of the treatment plant begins.

Kabende said the council would continue monitoring local employment, as the project's financiers, Standard Bank and Old Mutual, require quarterly reports on local workforce participation.

"We can safely report that the locals are already being hired in terms of semi-skilled and unskilled. As for skilled workers, it's still open to first offers to the locals only when that skill is not in existence," he said.

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