The City of Windhoek has begun disconnecting water and electricity supplies across the Namibian capital as unpaid municipal debt reaches about N$900 million. The enforcement drive covers households and businesses in every suburb of the city.

The City says the disconnections target accounts that are 30 days or more in arrears with no payment made and no approved repayment arrangement in place. The action is being carried out under the municipality's Credit Control Policy and municipal law. The City's own figure puts the debtors' book higher, at about N$932.7 million.

Chief executive Moses Matyayi has urged residents who cannot pay in full to approach the municipality and agree a repayment plan so they can avoid losing services. Reconnection costs N$650 plus the outstanding balance or the terms of an arrangement, and supply returns within 48 hours of a verified payment, according to the City.

The move has drawn criticism. Human rights lawyer Norman Tjombe has questioned whether the mass disconnections are lawful and warned of disease risks, especially for vulnerable residents. The Commerce Residents and Ratepayers Association has also criticised the exercise, saying the municipality must fix its billing system and engage residents on lasting solutions to the debt crisis.

The City says the money is needed to maintain infrastructure and to buy bulk water and electricity. A debt relief programme ran from 2023 to 2025, during which the council approved N$724 million in relief and write-offs; about N$383.9 million has been written off for pensioners, orphan-led households and other qualifying groups, the Windhoek Post reported.