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Thursday, 23 July 2026
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Thursday, 23 July 2026
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Namibian press · Organization

Rehoboth Town Council

Also known as: RTC

Rehoboth Town Council — local authority managing water, electricity and services in Rehoboth, currently addressing N$150m debt to NamWater.

2025-04-072026-07-23
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What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

  1. July 2026

  2. Windhoek Observer

    Rehoboth Town Council had revealed in audit report accumulated deficit of nearly N$37 million

    Source

    “For instance, an audit report on the Rehoboth Town Council for the period from 2017 to 2019 revealed an accumulated deficit of nearly N$37 million, with assets being exceeded by expenses and unexplained variances of millions in payroll and bank reconciliations.”

    Sankwasa maintains budget freeze for unaudited councils
  3. June 2026

  4. The Namibian

    Rehoboth Town Council restored water to all schools on Tuesday

    Source

    “The Rehoboth Town Council restored water to all schools on Tuesday, after shutting off water due to non-payment of water bills.”

    Rehoboth restores water to schools
  5. March 2026

  6. New Era

    Rehoboth Town Council owes approximately N$145 million to NamWater and N$140 million to NamPower

    Source

    “Sankwasa revealed that the Rehoboth Town Council (RTC) owes about N$145 million to NamWater and N$140 million to NamPower—an alarming rise from roughly N$3 million in 2020.”

    Minister orders urgent intervention at Rehoboth

  7. New Era

    Rehoboth Town Council failed to respond to a May 2025 directive requiring councils to submit details of outstanding bills

    Source

    “The minister further criticised RTC for failing to respond to a directive issued in May 2025 requiring councils to submit details of outstanding bills.”

    Minister orders urgent intervention at Rehoboth

  8. New Era

    Rehoboth Town Council marked a milestone in community development with groundbreaking of new sports facility

    Source

    “Rehoboth Town Council, together with regional and national stakeholders, recently marked a milestone in community development with the groundbreaking of a new basic sports facility in Block H.”

    Rehoboth breaks ground on N$5m sports facility

  9. New Era

    Rehoboth Town Council has set aside at least N$70 million to replace conventional meters with prepaid ones

    Source

    “The Rehoboth Town Council has set aside at least N$70 million to replace conventional water and electricity meters with prepaid ones, a move aimed at improving revenue collection and preventing future arrears.”

    N$70m prepaid meters for beleaguered Rehoboth

  10. The Namibian

    Rehoboth Town Council owes NamWater N$100 million

    Source

    “The council owes the utility the second-highest amount out of all local authorities – N$100 million.”

    Rehoboth water crisis: 10 000 pupils and 200 inmates face supply cuts over N$100m debt

  11. The Namibian

    Rehoboth Town Council issued notice to residents about possible bulk water supply interruption due to N$150 million outstanding debt

    Source

    “The council on Tuesday issued a notice to residents about possible bulk water supply interruption due to an outstanding council debt of N$150 million.”

    Rehoboth water cuts halted – for now

  12. New Era

    Rehoboth Town Council confirmed that residents will continue to have water access after suspension was temporarily frozen

    Source

    “Residents of Rehoboth will continue to have access to water after the planned suspension of services by NamWater was temporarily frozen, the Rehoboth Town Council confirmed yesterday.”

    Rehoboth owes NamWater N$150m

  13. The Namibian

    Rehoboth Town Council owes over N$100 million to NamWater

    Source

    “The Rundu Town Council owes the biggest amount, with over N$300 million, followed by the Rehoboth Town Council with over N$100 million.”

    NamWater to suspend supply to Rehoboth over N$100-million debt
Politics

Minister freezes budgets for councils with unaudited finances

The News

Minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa has instructed that councils with outstanding financial reports will not have their budgets approved, stating that some councils have not had their books audited since 2015. Sankwasa described the situation as unacceptable and a violation of the law, questioning how government can ensure public funds are spent appropriately without annual financial audits.

7 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Tuesday 7 July

  1. Minister freezes budgets for councils with unaudited finances

    Minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa has instructed that councils with outstanding financial reports will not have their budgets approved, stating that some councils have not had their books audited since 2015. Sankwasa described the situation as unacceptable and a violation of the law, questioning how government can ensure public funds are spent appropriately without annual financial audits.

    7 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Tuesday 9 June

  1. Rehoboth restores water to schools after bill dispute

    Rehoboth Town Council restored water to all schools on Tuesday after shutting it off due to non-payment of water bills, following a ministerial directive requiring local authorities to cut off government institutions with outstanding utility payments.

    9 June 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 24 March

  1. Minister demands urgent action on Rehoboth Town Council debt crisis

    Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa has called for "courageous intervention" at Rehoboth Town Council, citing massive debts to NamWater (N$145 million) and NamPower (N$140 million), governance failures, and non-compliance with government directives. He warned that services could be suspended by end of May 2026 if the council fails to address the financial crisis, while residents have demanded forensic investigation and accountability from senior officials.

    24 March 2026 · New Era →

Friday 13 March

  1. Rehoboth breaks ground on five-million-dollar sports facility

    Rehoboth Town Council marked the groundbreaking of a new N$5 million sports facility on a 10-hectare site in Block H, which will accommodate six sports codes and create approximately 45 local jobs. The project has been welcomed as long-awaited community development, though some residents raised concerns about the location near a cemetery and questioned why it is being built while an older partially constructed stadium remains unused.

    13 March 2026 · New Era →

Thursday 12 March

  1. Rehoboth deploys N$70m prepaid meters to cut water debt

    Rehoboth Town Council is rolling out prepaid water and electricity meters across all suburbs to improve revenue collection and reduce its N$150 million debt to NamWater. The installation runs from March to June 2026, with monthly rental fees tiered by residency status, and a 70/30 payment system designed to gradually clear existing arrears while maintaining service access.

    12 March 2026 · New Era →

Wednesday 11 March

  1. Minister approves Jacky Britz as Rehoboth Basters Kaptein

    Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa has officially approved Herbert George Jacky Britz's designation as Kaptein of the Rehoboth Baster Gemeente Traditional Community, ending a protracted leadership dispute that followed his election in 2021 and court challenges by a rival candidate. Britz said the recognition restores the community's dignity and strengthens its voice in national matters.

    11 March 2026 · New Era →

Thursday 5 March

  1. Rehoboth risks water suspension over N$100m municipal debt

    Rehoboth Town Council faces a possible bulk water supply cut by Namibia Water Corporation due to the municipality's outstanding N$100 million debt, which would close schools affecting over 10,000 pupils and disrupt operations at a police holding facility with about 200 inmates.

    5 March 2026 · The Namibian →

  2. NamWater halts Rehoboth water cuts amid debt negotiations

    NamWater has suspended planned bulk water supply cuts to Rehoboth following negotiations with the town council over an outstanding debt of N$150 million. Negotiations now involve the Hardap governor's office and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, with water services remaining operational pending further discussions.

    5 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 4 March

  1. Rehoboth faces water suspension threat over N$150m debt

    Rehoboth Town Council has temporarily halted a planned NamWater service suspension after the town accumulated approximately N$150 million in arrears. The council is negotiating with stakeholders including the Hardap Governor's office and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development to resolve the debt and secure a lasting solution while maintaining current water services.

    4 March 2026 · New Era →

  2. NamWater warns of water suspension to Rehoboth over debt

    NamWater has issued notice of possible bulk water suspension to Rehoboth following the town council's unpaid debts exceeding N$100 million. The water utility faces N$2.8 billion in outstanding payments from local authorities and rural water communities, straining long-term water supply security.

    4 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 24 February

  1. Rehoboth council escalates drug and substance abuse response

    Rehoboth Town Council has intensified efforts to combat drug-related activities through a multi-sectoral approach involving police, social workers and community organisations. The council has donated a house to the Namibian Police drug squad, established a Junior Town Council for youth engagement, and plans satellite police stations in crime hotspots.

    24 February 2026 · New Era →

Monday 23 February

  1. Rehoboth Town Council escalates multi-sector drug abuse crackdown

    Rehoboth mayor Jacky Khariseb says the town council is intensifying efforts to combat drug and substance abuse through a multi-sectoral approach involving law enforcement, social workers, and community organisations. The council has donated a house to police for a drug squad, established a Junior Town Council for youth engagement, and is planning satellite police stations in identified crime hotspots.

    23 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 27 January

  1. Government, Sored launch peri-urban electrification project

    The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy has signed a Service Level Agreement with Sored to electrify 969 peri-urban households across Hardap and //Kharas regions, with an initial N$12 million allocation that the ministry intends to increase to at least N$20 million. The project will benefit communities in towns including Rehoboth, Mariental, Aranos, Hoachanas, Gibeon, Aroab, Bethanie, Berseba, Aus, Grünau and Warmbad.

    27 January 2026 · New Era →

Monday 26 January

  1. Government allocates N$12m for peri-urban electrification projects

    The government has allocated N$12 million to provide electricity to 969 peri-urban households across Hardap and //Kharas regions, with plans to scale up the programme as part of efforts to improve service delivery in communities where infrastructure development has lagged population growth.

    26 January 2026 · New Era →

Sunday 25 January

  1. Ministry allocates N$12m to electrify 969 households in southern regions

    The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy has allocated N$12 million to electrify 969 peri-urban households across Hardap and ǁKharas regions in towns including Rehoboth, Mariental, Aranos, and others, with work already underway in some areas and contractors appointed for others. The ministry aims to use grid extensions where feasible and solar systems where more practical or cost-effective, with plans to increase the electrification allocation to at least N$20 million.

    25 January 2026 · The Namibian →

  2. Energy ministry launches electricity access programme for southern regions

    The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy launched a service level agreement with the Southern Regional Electricity Distributor (Sored) to electrify 969 peri-urban households across Hardap and ǁKharas regions with an initial allocation of N$12 million, with plans to increase funding to at least N$20 million. The programme will benefit communities in Rehoboth, Mariental, Aranos, Hoachanas, Gibeon, Aroab, Bethanie, Berseba, Aus, Grünau and Warmbad, with implementation already underway in some areas.

    25 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Rehoboth Town Council — Namibian press coverage · Namibia Minute