The Municipality of Walvis Bay has been ordered by the High Court to stop disconnecting the water supply of WENA Investments CC over a municipal debt recorded against another person’s account.
In a judgment delivered on 3 September 2026, Justice Sibeya confirmed an urgent order granted in favour of WENA on 30 July. The order prohibits the municipality from disconnecting WENA’s water supply over municipal account 003663/003571, which was registered to Mr Van Rensburg. The municipality was also prohibited from transferring the debt recorded on that account to WENA and was ordered to pay the company’s legal costs, including the costs of one instructed and one instructing counsel.
Neither the municipality nor its debt collector, Red Force Debt Management CC, opposed WENA’s application or appeared in court to contest confirmation of the order. According to WENA’s founding affidavit, Red Force issued a suspension notice on 29 July stating that N$10 301.20 was outstanding on Van Rensburg’s account. WENA told the court that Van Rensburg had no connection to the company and was not a tenant at the property. The company also maintained that its own municipal account was fully paid. Despite this, WENA said the property’s water supply was disconnected, affecting 17 apartments, three offices and four business premises.
The company said it approached the municipality to have the water restored but was forced to approach the High Court for urgent relief. WENA also raised an alleged similar incident dating back to 2014. According to its founding affidavit, N$14 653.79 was transferred from Van Rensburg’s account to WENA’s account before the amount was reversed after the municipality acknowledged the error.
WENA says the alleged recurrence raises questions about the verification of municipal accounts and the procedures followed before water is disconnected for outstanding debt. The company is seeking answers on who authorised the latest disconnection, what verification was carried out before the water was cut, what role Red Force played and whether other ratepayers may have been affected by similar account errors. The High Court has now confirmed the order in WENA’s favour, with the municipality ordered to pay the company’s legal costs.
The matter also raises questions for residents and businesses about how municipal accounts are matched to properties and what checks are carried out before essential services are disconnected. At the time of going to print, the Namib Times was still awaiting a response from the Municipality of Walvis Bay.
The municipality disconnected an occupied property despite WENA Investments CC maintaining that its own account was fully paid. The High Court has now stopped the practice and awarded WENA its legal costs.
By Rudi Bowe
