Hundreds of pensioners register for debt relief
Registration possible until 15 April
The City of Windhoek says the high number of applications for debt relief among pensioners is encouraging.
A total of 340 pensioners have been successfully registered for debt relief during the first week of registrations at the City of Windhoek.The registration period began on 15 February and ends on 15 April.
"Following council approval on 30 November 2023, we commenced the planning phase for pensioner registration. While encountering minor glitches, which are normal for any electronic process, we promptly address and resolve them," City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya told our sister publication Namibian Sun.
Last week, the leader of the Katutura Residents' Committee, Shaun Gariseb, said that pensioners showed up with outdated certified documents, prompting a request to the City for access to police services at registration points.
Amutenya explained that the “initial requirement was for the pensioners to bring certified copies of their documents with them, but on the first day already, we picked up that some were coming with uncertified copies or copies that were certified ages ago, some had copied from copies, and so on the same day, we made arrangements for the certification to be done on-site."
She urged pensioners “to bring copies of their documents with the originals for the certification to be done on-site", to allow for smooth registrations.
Amutenya said the 300 pensioners who have already arrived for registration are notable.
"The number of pensioners availing themselves of the initiative is encouraging, and we observe an improvement in understanding requirements, partly due to our efforts in raising awareness through various mediums such as radio."
She reminded the public that "it's important to note that non-pensioners and businesses will not register, as their 50% interest write-off will be processed automatically."
Where to apply
The City confirmed that pensioners can apply on weekdays from 08:30 to 19:00 and on Saturdays from 08:30 to 15:00. Stations include the City's head office in town, the Katutura customer care centre on Independence Avenue and the Ombili customer care centre.
Pensioners will need copies of the account holder's or representative's ID and proof of ownership (a copy of the title deed). Where a resident owns multiple properties, they must provide a police declaration stating their primary residence.
For estate accounts, residents will need the same documents, as well as a marriage certificate (if applicable), a copy of the owner's death certificate and a guardianship letter for minors.
For pensioners to qualify for debt relief, they need to have prepaid meters for water and electricity or have applied for them.
They should also agree to pay for the installation of the prepaid meters either upfront or in instalments over five years.
"Only the arrears on your account by 30 November 2023 will be written off. The current accounts from 1 December 2023, excluding interest to date, should be paid in full," the City explained.
"In the case of an estate account, the account holder should have been a pensioner [60 or older] by the date of death. Pensioners can apply for prepaid meters on-site during registration."