Frustrated by ongoing service shortages, residents of Groot |Aub have once again petitioned the City of Windhoek.

They demand immediate action to address service delivery, such as electricity. 

According to the Windhoek Rural Councillor, Piet Adams, a lack of basic utilities is exacerbating poverty and inequality in the area.

The petition calls for the restoration of water services in Groot |Aub with immediate effect.

The cost of purchasing water privately, the councillor said, is too high and has placed an unsustainable financial burden on residents.

"Our people are tired of administrators' excuses about dropping water tables; why do water supply issues persist in Groot |Aub when other areas, such as Windhoek, continue to receive consistent water access?" questioned Adams.

Residents also demand that permission be granted to NamPower to electrify the area as a matter of urgency.

The petitioners say that access to electricity is a basic need, further arguing that living without electricity in a democratic country contradicts their rights.

They added that electricity contributes to security, education, and overall quality of life. 

A lack of response from the city's CEO's office has resulted in residents' appealing directly to the mayor's office.

Adams said Groot |Aub's residents feel marginalised within the larger Windhoek community, despite being part of its boundaries since 2017.

Windhoek Deputy Mayor Joseph Uapingene received the petition.

Uapingene acknowledged the group's leader, Councillor Piet Adams, as an elected member familiar with city processes. 

After Adams' warning to respond within five working days or face unspecified action from the community, Uapingene assured residents that the City of Windhoek would address their concerns immediately.

"As a responsible council, we cannot just provide water directly from the borehole to the residents; we have to clean it, and for that reason, the water must first come to the reservoir."

The deputy mayor promised that the city will put up two additional water tanks at Groot |Aub next week.