Kamati outlines city government’s plans to regulate informal trade

Windhoek Mayor Queen Kamati and Municipality Chief Executive Officer Moses Matyayi yesterday discussed several pressing issues affecting residents of the city.

At the press conference, the two highlighted the municipality’s plans to regularise informal trade while addressing challenges in municipal service delivery. Speaking in the council chamber, Kamathi acknowledged that the past month had been very busy, highlighted by media coverage, public events and 17 public meetings held in all 10 wards of Windhoek.

Another key issue discussed was the ongoing controversy surrounding the blocking of prepaid electricity meters by residents who have not paid their water bills or taxes. Kamati said the city government will continue with this measure, citing legal provisions of the Electricity Act.

“Blocking prepaid meters is a last resort to encourage delinquent customers to settle their outstanding bills. We recognise that the City of Windhoek has not violated any laws by adopting this approach and we will continue to use blocking prepaid meters as a complementary measure to other debt collection methods,” she said. She stressed that this approach is essential for the financial sustainability of the City. “Failure to pay for services will result in severe financial shortfalls, hampering our ability to provide basic services to other residents,” she added.

Abnormal billing

Kamati also addressed the anomalies found in the city’s billing system and assured residents that the issue will be handled with the utmost professionalism. The city has hired Deloitte as an external investigator to conduct a forensic investigation into the matter. “Due to the nature of the investigation, we are unable to disclose further details at this time in order to preserve the integrity and quality of the investigative process,” she said, urging residents to report any anomalies in their accounts to the city’s customer contact center.

Meanwhile, on the regulation of informal trade, Kamathi outlined the city government’s efforts to manage this rapidly growing sector. She highlighted the ongoing review of informal trade regulations, which are aimed at creating a conducive environment for informal traders while maintaining order and safety in the city.

The Mayor then announced that the City Council had initiated an open market development programme, with a total of 18 markets currently operating across Windhoek. In response to the increasing number of informal traders operating in unauthorised locations, the City Council approved a Market Development Master Plan which will identify 20 additional market development sites.

“The project aims to provide basic services like piped water and ablution facilities by allocating suitable sites within the city, based on available funds,” Kamati explained.