Dead animals that are washed down from the Klein Windhoek River contribute to the contamination of the Okapuka River, said the committee members representing the Mix settlement this week. The City of Windhoek is responsible for the contamination of the Okapuka River because dead, rotten animals and rubbish from the Klein Windhoek River are being washed from the smaller rivers in Windhoek to the main river which is the Okapuka River, said Julia Laban-Bashir, a member of the Mix Settlement committee. “People bath in that river because the water is free. We have spoken to the City of Windhoek about this but they said development will only be able to take place in 5 years,” she said. According to Laban-Bashir, the river posses a serious health risk because diseases such as cholera are contracted from dirty water such as the water found in the stagnant pools of the river. “It has all kind of waste in it including feaces from the settlement’s people who uses the river as a toilet,” she said.
She confirmed that she is not aware, so far, of any proven, direct relationship between residents falling ill, and the the condition of the water. “Although the people bathe themselves in the river and children also swim in it, we haven’t had cases of illness or death cause by the river yet,” she conceded but voiced the whole community’s concern when she said “ it would be good if the City could build toilets at the Settlement and put a fence around the river to prevent such a potential tragedy from happening.”
An employee in the Infratructure, Water and Waste Management department of the City of Windhoek who spoke to the Economist on condition of anonymity said, there are many factors that can be the cause of the river being contaminated but the City won’t comment because there is no proof that the river is actually contaminated. “ The water needs to get tested first and when the details of the tests are available then the City can comment,” she said. She also said that dead animals can be the cause of the contamination, but one dead animal can not contaminate a river. How big is the river? And how many dead animals were seen in the river?. We are responsible for the disposal of dead animal from the river, so that person must come to us, she said before referring the Economist to her manager.