How long must we suffer with the same problems?

Rundu is growing but our basic services are not. Every year, more people move into the town, new houses appear, new businesses open, informal settlements expand yet, beneath this growth is a disturbing reality.

Rundu is becoming bigger without becoming better, residents are still battling unreliable water, roads remain a nightmare in many areas, drainage and sanitation remain inadequate.

Some communities continue to live without the infrastructure expected in a town that is supposed to be the economic heartbeat of the Kavango regions.

The most frustrating part is we have been talking about these problems for years.

How many more meetings must be held? How many more promises must be made?

How many more generations must grow up believing that poor services are simply “the Rundu way?” We cannot continue normalising dysfunction. Rundu does not need more speeches about development. Rundu needs development that people can actually see, touch and experience.

A town cannot claim progress when residents must worry about whether water will come out of their taps.

A town cannot claim development when a short journey can become a battle because of poor roads.

A town cannot plan for tomorrow while failing to provide adequately for the people living in it today.

This is bigger than politics, it is about dignity.

The people of Rundu pay taxes, they pay for municipal services. They contribute to the local economy. They send their children to schools, buy from businesses and keep this town alive. So why should basic services remain a privilege?

Rundu is not asking for luxury, it is asking for the basic services the town is growing whether our authorities are ready or not. Will our leadership rise to meet that growth or will Rundu continue growing into a crisis?

At some point, we must stop asking when things will improve and start asking who is responsible for making them improve and where is the plan?

*Edward S. Tjihinga is an educationalist, youth activist and community advocate based in Rundu.