Residents of Grootfontein in the Otjozondjupa Region have expressed concern about their municipality’s outdated fleet, saying it affects service delivery. They expressed their concerns in interviews with NAMPA on Tuesday. When approached for comment, Grootfontein Municipality chief executive officer (CEO), Kisco Sinvula confirmed that they are forced to work with machinery and vehicles that date back to the 1970s. He said the fleet, comprising mostly heavy-duty vehicles, is used for purposes such as blading gravel roads and collecting garbage. “The residents need to understand that this is all the municipality has until we can purchase a new fleet,” said Sinvula. The vehicles include a grader, three garbage trucks, five tippers, two front loaders, an excavator, a roller compactor and water tankers. Sinvula said the vehicles at times have serious mechanical problems that can take months to repair in the municipality’s workshops. He then urged residents, ministries and businesses to pay their outstanding debt with the municipality to enable it to purchase new equipment so services can be delivered on time. The municipality is owed more than N$120 million in rates, taxes and other municipality services provided to them, the CEO noted. He further said the municipality plans to auction the old machinery to help generate funds for more modern equipment. Grootfontein’s main revenue streams are the sale of residential and business plots, as well as rates and taxes paid by customers. The town provides municipal services to nearly 5 000 households. -NAMPA