Groot Aub residents say they no longer have confidence in the City of Windhoek to deliver services.

They now want to handle their own administration for faster development at the settlement.

Chief Jorro Eiseb of the |Khomanin Traditional Authority, who addressed the Groot Aub community, stated that the incorporation of the settlement into Windhoek defeats the purpose as the municipality hardly provides efficient services.

Residents have echoed their dismay with the municipality since 2017, citing that their complaints have fallen on deaf ears and that issues reported continue to worsen.

These include a lack of electricity, water, and proper sanitation.

Servicing and allocation of land also remain challenges at the settlement.

This is something that won't work; this is an injustice done against us. If they fail to provide efficient services in areas like Havana, Hakahana, and Greewell, how will you succeed in Groot Aub? They have failed to provide the people with proper sanitation and have had to build their own toilets. What's worse, we are here without water. Groot Aub has been sold."

Groot Aub was initially a farm with ancestral land claims under the |Khomanin Traditional Authority, but it was later incorporated into the City of Windhoek due to the increasing population there.

A resident of Groot Aub, Richard Van Wyk, questioned why the |Khomanin authority is not given privileges like other traditional authorities to oversee matters under their jurisdiction.

This, he says, will help address challenges faced by the community quickly.

The |Khomanin Traditional Authority must also get the rights to manage Groot Aub. But now they are being bypassed by the municipality, like the |Khomanin have no authority or say when it comes to Groot Aub. It's better to have traditional leaders who can deal with all the issues and different cases in the settlement. That's why there is no order here; there's no traditional leader that can listen to our pleas and deal with them accordingly. For example, in the water situation, how long should one wait to have water? People are walking long distances to fetch water."