News from Council Chambers
In the most recent ordinary council meeting by the City of Windhoek, mayor Joseph Uapingene announced that a proposal on the writing off of debt is being finalized to serve at Council before the year comes to an end.He said the proposed submission will highlight various options for a debt write-off programme for eligible residents. “This programme is a crucial measure to ease financial pressures and assist residents in recovering. The ultimate aim is to ensure that the community stays strong and resilient. It is vital to tackle the problem of debt write-offs, especially at a time when many residents are facing financial challenges,” Uapingene said.
Water savings
Uapingene appealed to Windhoek residents to save water. The City has surpassed its monthly water consumption goal, and the Von Bach Dam water level is currently low at 17.9%. “All residents must act immediately to adopt water-saving measures that can help lower water consumption and conserve this precious resource.”
AfDB grant
The Windhoek municipal council received a grant of U$485 000 from the African Development Bank (AfDB) through its Urban and Municipal Development Fund (UMDF), which is aimed at assisting the City in providing electricity to the peri-urban areas and enhancing its renewable energy capacity. The grant will allow Council to accelerate the provision of electricity services to these areas.
Street renaming
Council approved the application to change the name of Hennie Laubscher Street in Olympia to honour the late Brigadier General Karel Ndjoba. The request for the street renaming was made by Ndjoba's widow and children. The street is where the Ndjoba family lives along with other households, who all agreed to the renaming.
According to his biography, Brigadier General Karel Ndjoba was a loyal, dedicated, determined, and disciplined soldier who played a significant role in transforming the defence system in Namibia after independence. He integrated former SWATF members into the national defence force, contributing to nation-building and reconciliation.
He was also responsible for hoisting the Namibian flag on 21 March 1990 as a Company Commander of the Presidential Guard of Honour. He played a key role in developing training and fighting doctrines for the Namibian Defence Force. At the international level, he served as Defence Attache to the Federal Republic of General Germany, a position he held until his unexpected death in November 2014.