The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has expressed concern about the theft and vandalism of equipment used to monitor floods at its satellite stations along the Cuvelai Basin in the Omusati and Ohangwena regions.

The issue was initially raised by Agriculture Minister Carl Schlettwein, who on social media last week stated that several pieces of equipment at flood monitoring stations had been stolen or vandalized.

He added that such theft and vandalism cannot be tolerated as it directly harms communities that bear the risk of flood damage.

Windhoek residents have been urged to be vigilant about a growing trend of water meter and electric gate motor theft.

These items are the latest hot targets for thieves in Windhoek, according to statistics compiled by the City of Windhoek and the City Police.

The Municipality Spokesperson, Lydia Amutenya, says that the City has of late experienced a spike in the theft of metal items, which she links to a rising number of water meter theft cases.

Since January, the City has recorded about 247 stolen water meters, 166 of which were in August alone.