Gobabis drowning in rubbish
Residents of Gobabis have raised serious concern over the worsening condition of rubbish dumps and ongoing sewage problems.They warn that these issues pose a direct threat to human health, the environment, and local wildlife.
According to information received by Network Media Hub (NMH) from residents, open rubbish dumps around Gobabis have expanded significantly. A video taken at the end of 2025 shows waste scattered far beyond the designated landfill areas, polluting the surrounding land.
The affected areas are home to wildlife such as free-roaming horses, kudus, duikers, and steenbok. Residents caution that the continued spread of rubbish endangers these animals and accelerates environmental degradation. Additional photos suggest that the situation is spiralling out of control and worsening daily.
Plastic and other waste are regularly blown by the wind into trees, fences, and residential areas, where they often remain for weeks.
In addition to the rubbish dumps, residents report ongoing and worsening sewage problems. Open manholes, overflowing sewage pipes, and other unresolved infrastructure issues pose further risks to both health and the environment.
Residents also expressed frustration about poor service delivery in other areas, particularly recent prolonged power outages in parts of the town. In early January, some areas were without electricity for almost a week after an underground cable apparently burned out. According to residents, troubleshooting was delayed due to a lack of equipment.
Although NamPower supplied a replacement cable, the entire damaged section had to be replaced, and work progressed slowly.
Questions submitted by NMH to the Gobabis town council remained unanswered.
