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Keetmans council looks to Germany for renewable energy, social housing, sanitation


THE Keetmanshoop Municipality is looking to formulate a twinning agreement with Germany’s Kleinmachnow Municipality to address shortfalls in the areas of social housing, wastewater reclamation and renewable energy.

Kleinmachnow Municipality administrators visited Keetmanshoop earlier this year to view the town’s infrastructure and challenges. With the reciprocal visit by the Keetmanshoop Municipality to Germany, the two entities are moving closer to formalising their areas of cooperation, which will also include skills transfer.

Mayor of Keetmanshoop McDonald Hanse said the Kleinmachnow Municipality has outsourced the functions of administrating social housing provision and waste reclamation to independent entities.

“These entities build the houses and rent them out at an affordable fee to the residents. It is much like the Build Together programme we have here. We focus on providing ownership to Namibians. But our failure is in managing these programmes, that is where we can learn a lot from Kleinmachnow,” said Hanse.

A delegation of five members undertook a visit to Kleinmachnow, Germany, from 28 September to 4 October, where they met with teams managing these areas, including the council of Kleinmachnow, he said.

During the visit they discussed financial assistance for the Keetmanshoop Municipality waste sewerage plant or reclamation plant, since the council faces a challenge in reclaiming waste water due to leaking ponds.

Last year, municipality strategic executive for economic development Jegg Christiaan said the council was seeking credible partners to make proposals for water reclamation and re-use, as the relining of the ponds will cost about N$2 million for two ponds and the construction of a pump station.

“It is very important for us to address the environmental challenge of sewerage water seeping into the ground and contaminating the underground water tables. Plus, the challenge of surface water that runs off causing environmental pollution. Water reclamation and reuse would mitigate, reduce and possibly even eradicate these risks,” said Christiaan.

Council approved the consultation with development partners to source funding for the upgrade of the Keetmanshoop oxidation (sewer) ponds, to facilitate the optimal harvesting of waste water.

Reclaimed sewerage water can be used for agricultural purposes, and watering parks, stadiums, gardens and public spaces.

Hanse said renewable energy was another area they discussed, as the price of electricity and water continues to increase and councils have historic debts with NamWater and NamPower.

“Renewable energy is the way to go. Keetmanshoop has ample sunlight and cannot lose out on developing renewable energy for its residents, that’s a great opportunity for us,” said Hanse.





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