Interview: Walvis Bay Activist Elvis Goseb Slams Council Over Unemployment and Service Failures

Community activist Elvis Goseb has raised serious concerns about the state of local governance in Walvis Bay, pointing to growing youth unemployment and the local council’s failure to deliver basic services. Speaking to Future Media, Goseb explained how tenders for public works—such as road repairs—are often awarded to external contractors, despite community proposals to train and employ local youth.

“Our proposals fell on deaf ears,” Goseb said, adding that the local authority continues to overlook home-grown solutions that could ease unemployment and create dignity for young people.

He also criticised the council for poor service delivery, citing unresolved issues with refuse collection and sewage systems. “The council is underperforming its mandate,” Goseb noted.

During the interview, he questioned whether councillors deserve salaries if they fail to work for their communities. “As an activist, I serve without pay. But councillors, who are voted in and paid, ignore the very people who put them in office,” he said. Goseb called for councillors to be rated on their performance and held accountable to strategic plans that reflect community priorities.

Goseb also recommended changes to the Local Authorities Act that would ensure councillors represent a diversity of neighbourhoods and give communities the power to recall non-performing councillors through petitions. “The mushrooming of ghettos right behind government offices shows how neglected we are,” he said.

He further criticized the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development for being inaccessible. “We write letters and call for visits, but no one comes. There’s no response. We need regular, consultative meetings.”

In closing, Goseb announced plans to publicly address housing challenges in Walvis Bay. He pointed to idle land left undeveloped after block purchases and unallocated homes at Farm 37. “Hundreds of families could have been housed already,” he said, adding that policy reforms are needed to prevent land speculation and ensure access to affordable housing.

A follow-up interview on housing delivery is planned for next week.