Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Africa Water & Sanitation & Hygiene May -June 2017 | Page 6

NEWS in brief
“It is a fact that we have no running water because Blantyre
Water board came to close the taps. I am a woman and l
need water for my person hygiene,” she said.
The Government Office Complex houses over 10
government departments such as; the Ministry of Tourism,
the Department of Meteorological Services, Immigration
Offices, Administrator General, Legal Aid, Information and
offices of the District Commissioner (DC) just to mention
a few.
Namibia
Battle against Bucket Toilets Rages On
By Ndanki Kahiurika
Eliminating the bucket toilet system,
which President Hage Geingob has
described as demeaning, remains a
challenge for government, urban and
rural development minister Sophia
Shaningwa admitted at a workshop
recently.
While opening the ministry’s strategic
planning workshop in Windhoek,
Shaningwa called on her subordinates
yet again to ensure that it is eliminated
by the end of this year as per the
Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP).
She said government has committed
to eliminating the “inhumane and
unhygienic” bucket toilet system,
which remains prevalent in most
communities.
Echoing a figure mentioned by
President Geingob during his state
of the nation speech two weeks ago,
Shaningwa said 2 367 households are
still using the bucket toilet system,
especially in urban and peri-urban
areas.
“Noting that the problem is very large
in scope and also given the limited
financial resources and capacity, we
have decided to give attention first
to households that are situated in
areas where main sewer reticulation
networks exist.
The intervention will thus be to
construct proper flush toilets, and/
or to connect them to the main sewer
line,” Shaningwa stated.
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Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • May - June 2017
Around Africa
However, due
to budgetary
constraints,
only
780
households
in the Hardap
and //Karas
r e g i o n s
have
been
selected for
the elimination of the bucket toilets, and construction has
already began.