Legislation and Policies for the City of Windhoek to Carry on With Water and Sanitation Service Delivery in Havana Informal Settlement

Abstract

National and local policies are formulated to ensure the provision of sustainable service delivery. The City of Windhoek is legislatively required to deliver basic services to the community. This paper examines the process of formulation and implementation of national drinking water and sanitation policies in Namibia. The study used a cross-sectional qualitative survey of the people living in Havana informal settlements and a selection of city council members. The study reveals that although the local authority is making efforts to improve basic services, lack of funds, lower income, high density of population, unplanned migration, and lack of community participation and awareness are major challenges. Nonavailability of serviced land and lack of effective policies and legislations and poor implementation are barriers to proper service delivery. The study recommends that policies that can protect the water resources from pollution should be enforced such as the ‘polluter pays principle' and regular water quality monitoring on all proposed projects should be implemented.