Residents who were recently allocated plots of land at the Brukaros informal settlement in Keetmanshoop are still lacking basic services, despite promises made nearly two years ago.

Bonita Boois applied for a plot of land from the Keetmanshoop Municipality two years ago. She and her family received this plot last year after paying nearly sixteen thousand dollars. However, Boois says that despite being a happy homeowner, basic services such as water and electricity are still unavailable.

"We call on the municipality to come and clean this area and connect us with electricity. We are living with small children here who need warm water at times. I even lost a job opportunity recently because my phone was not charged due to the lack of electricity."

Cecilia Swartbooi, another resident of nearly three years, says residents need to pay two thousand dollars for a water connection, which many struggling residents cannot afford. Swartbooi adds, "All we want is for the municipality to connect us with electricity."

Due to the lack of proper toilet facilities, residents are forced to use nearby bushes when nature calls. Imelda Vries, a resident of Brukaros, says, "There are no toilet facilities here. Do you see the highway behind me? That is where most of us go whenever nature calls in the evening. My daughter accompanies me, which is not safe for both of us, but we have no choice but to use the bushes."

Crime in the settlement is also said to be on the increase. According to Paulus Konnjeni, a resident of Brukaros, "Since we came here, we have experienced more crimes due to the lack of electricity. This area can get very dark, especially when people from the base are coming from the location. These criminals, calling themselves 'hos hos,' are attacking people there. They know when people come from the location to their base."

The Chairperson of the Keetmanshoop Management Committee, Easter Isaak, assured residents that the municipality remains committed to ensuring that all residents, including those in informal settlements, have access to essential services such as electricity. Isaak said the recent approval of an 11.9 million dollar loan from the Development Bank of Namibia will help in making services available to the residents. According to Isaak, the loan will primarily be used for the provision of electrical services in the Brukaros extensions, including formal and informal areas.