Otavi Constituency Councillor George !Garab has said that the Otjozondjupa Regional Council must take over the provision of water to residents of Kombat without the involvement of NamWater.
When the Kombat mine was in full swing, it was providing the residents of Kombat with free water.
However, with the closure of the mine, the electricity was switched off, and the pump stopped pumping water.
A nearby farmer took over to pay the electricity bill for a small shaft to continue with irrigation, while the residents also make use of the water.
For the duration, the mine is closed, !Garab said the regional council must take over the cost of the water pump at the mine to enable inhabitants of the Kombat settlement to have access to water at a minimum cost.
"As we can see, the setup is here behind me. What is it that NamWater will do? What they will do is connect electricity; they have already put the pump in, and they will charge us. We need to cut costs."
To cut costs, !Garab has applied with CENORED to connect electricity to the main shaft pump, for the pumping of water to be restored.
The council, however, has to invest in the purification of water from the mine before it can reach the community.
The intention, he said, is also to pump water from Kombat to Neu Samarou and farm unit C, as it is just adjacent to Kombat.
"We took measurements, and we realised the km from the junction is plus or minus 3.4 km, so we have to provide class 16 plastic pipes that we can give people water so they can start their irrigation projects."
The aim is to create jobs for people and to sustain themselves.
"Our offices can provide them with seeds, and that way, people can feed themselves. We are fully aware that the mine can not accommodate everyone, but those who will not be accommodated can start their own projects. As you can see here, our people are planting millies, and so on. The problem is just water."
Once the Kombat mine reopens, !Garab said it can take over the responsibility of providing free water to the Kombat settlement as usual.
He advised residents to start with backyard gardening once water is restored.