Namibia: Namibia Expands Water Access, but Sanitation Backlog Persists - PM

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a New Era report from Swakopmund, says Namibia has raised access to safe drinking water to 91.4% of the population, while sanitation coverage has reached 60%. The figures were presented during an African Public Service Day commemoration, in remarks prepared for Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare and delivered by Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Minister Inge Zaamwani.

According to the report, the government drilled 102 boreholes during the 2025/26 financial year, 87 of which were successful. It also equipped and commissioned 53 boreholes drilled earlier to serve communities with limited access. On sanitation, 2,120 facilities were built, including 1,579 through regional councils and 541 through the ministry.

Ngurare said the numbers show progress but do not erase service gaps, especially in rural and peri-urban areas. He cautioned that infrastructure only improves lives when it is fully functional, noting that 45 usable boreholes still awaited installation at the end of the first quarter. The report also cited continued reliance on weekly water tanker deliveries in some areas affected by saline groundwater, alongside procurement delays, weak contractor performance and ageing infrastructure.

Zaamwani called for public service events to focus more on practical delivery, suggesting officials could directly support water and sanitation work in communities such as Daures, Omaruru and Okombahe. The issue matters because water and sanitation access are central to public health, local development and confidence in government services, particularly in underserved settlements where completed projects may still fall short of daily needs.