NamWater Operations Manager Abraham Ashipala has called on the government to consider settling the debts owed to it by rural water schemes.

Oshana local water committee owes the water utility N$59,6 million.

NamWater made an appeal to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources and Development at Oshakati, which is conducting oversight hearings on a motion to write off historic debts.

Oshakati Town Council does not have historic debts, however, it has an outstanding invoice for October of N$2.3 million.

Ondangwa Town Council also owes NamWater N$1.2 million for October.

NamWater says payments by local water associations under rural schemes have been minimal.

Other challenges are pipe breaks that are not attended to on time, resulting in high water bills, as well as vandalism of water infrastructure and community debts that continue to escalate.

The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource and Development, Tjekero Tweya, was not pleased to hear that water was cut off for some communities for a prolonged period.