Under the leadership of the Democratic Alliance, Nama Khoi Municipality is making meaningful progress in tackling long standing sanitation backlogs and improving the quality of life of residents across Namaqualand.
In July, the municipality announced the purchase of two additional state-of-the-art sewer vacuum trucks, increasing its operational sewerage fleet from three to five vehicles. Equipped with modern suction tanks, the expanded fleet has significantly strengthened the municipality’s capacity to respond to one of its most critical public health responsibilities.
Previously, residents could wait up to two months for sewerage and drainage problems to be attended to. The additional capacity is now helping municipal teams dramatically reduce waiting times and clear backlogs, particularly in communities such as Concordia, Steinkopf, Buffelsrivier and Komaggas. Sanitation services are moving towards a system where problems can increasingly be addressed when they arise, rather than residents being left to wait weeks for relief.
This is about far more than adding two vehicles to a municipal fleet. It is about restoring dignity and ensuring that families no longer have to live with sewage spills, foul smells around their homes or the health risks associated with inadequate sanitation.
The progress achieved over the past two months is the result of the DA’s approach over the past five years to first stabilising the municipality’s finances, addressing debt and restoring financial sustainability, and then using that stronger financial position to invest in the infrastructure and services residents depend on every day.
The progress in sanitation is an important first step in a broader programme to strengthen municipal services across Nama Khoi. It marks the beginning of the second phase of Nama Khoi’s restoration of moving from stabilisation to service-delivery excellence.
By giving the DA a stronger mandate at the polls on 4 November, residents can ensure that this work continues.