Residents of the Tatamutsi location in |Uis in the Erongo Region say they have been left without water, a crisis that has fuelled emotions and renewed complaints over poor service delivery. 

Many say the situation is becoming unbearable, with no clear communication on when water will be restored.

An emotional 64-year-old resident, Emgardt Awises, was born and raised in |Uis and said that she feels disappointed when she has to beg for basic needs such as water.  

"The water scarcity issue is so heartbreaking; sometimes, there isn't even a glass of drinking water.  There was a water point there, but I don't know what happened to it, so now there's another water point that only opens at 3:00 in the morning, and therefore, we are forced to wake up in the morning hours to get water. Otherwise, if you don't, you will have to go into town carrying heavy containers. I'm an elder with grandchildren."

Awises said she once relied on a backyard vegetable garden, encouraged by local councillors, to feed her family and earn a small income, but with the ongoing water scarcity, the entire garden has wilted.

Residents say the situation is worsening, with young children, sick elderly people, and breastfeeding mothers suffering the most without water.

Some community members told NBC News that they risk their lives by waking up at 3:00 a.m. to wait for the taps to open, hoping to collect whatever little water flows.