The Okongo Constituency councillor Efraim Shipindo has urged public members to desist from stealing community water pumps as these cost the government millions to replace.

In an interview with Nampa on Friday, Shipindi stated that the three water cylinders stolen this week from boreholes at Okamanya, Onheleiwa and Okanyanona villages bring the total to 13 stolen since last year.

‘We suspect that thieves might have taken the water pumps into Angola to re-sell or nearby farms where people have private taps,’ he said.

He called on communities to expose people who steal water pumps so that they can be dealt with.

Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform spokesperson Jona Musheko said the ministry condemns the recent reports of cases of theft of water pumps, most especially in the north and north-central region.

‘This really takes us back in terms of our objective of water supply in the rural areas,’ he said.

Musheko indicated that in all those villages where the water pumps and solar panels are stole
n, the communities are left in a crisis as the water supply is interrupted.

He urged the community to safeguard the facilities that are put up by the ministry in different areas, be it boreholes, water pumps or solar panels, as when this happens it sets communities back.

He also urged the community members to report the culprits, as the government has no resources to be going back and forth replacing stolen equipment.

Source: Namibia Press Agency