The City of Windhoek is right to remove illegal electricity connections.
They are dangerous, they cost lives and they destroy property.
No one should have to fear that a live wire running through a neighbourhood could kill a child or burn down an entire community.
But removing cables is only treating the symptom.
The real problem runs much deeper.
For many families living in Windhoek’s informal settlements, illegal electricity is not about criminality.
It is about survival.
It is about a mother trying to cook supper without using expensive paraffin, a child needing light to study for an exam, or a small business owner trying to keep a fridge running to earn an honest living.
Nobody wakes up hoping to break the law.
Most people simply want the dignity of having electricity in their homes.
That is why the City’s latest crackdown, while necessary, cannot be the only solution.
Every illegal connection that is removed should remind the authorities that there is still another household waiting for a legal one.
Windhoek has grown rapidly over the years, but access to basic services has not kept pace.
Informal settlements continue to expand, yet many residents still wait years for electricity.
When legal options are unavailable or unaffordable, some people take dangerous shortcuts.
It is a choice that can never be justified, but it is one that becomes easier to understand.
The City has a responsibility to protect lives by removing hazardous connections.
At the same time, it has an equally important responsibility to ensure that safe, affordable electricity reaches the people who need it most.
Residents should not only see municipal workers arriving to disconnect power.
They should also see new poles being erected, power lines extended and more homes being connected legally.
That is how trust is built and how illegal connections are reduced for good.
Electricity is no longer a luxury.
It powers education, supports small businesses, improves safety and gives families a better quality of life.
A city that wants to grow inclusively cannot leave thousands of its residents in the dark.
The City of Windhoek should continue removing illegal connections.
But it must also move with the same urgency to expand legal access.
Because you can disconnect a cable in minutes, but you cannot disconnect desperation.
The only lasting solution is to replace dangerous wires with safe, legal and affordable electricity for every community.
