OTJIWARONGO – Due to an ever-increasing influx of people the Otjiwarongo Municipality has availed 700 plots for mass housing and plans are underway to create four more extensions that will eventually become four new neighbourhoods in the capital of the Otjozondjupa Region.
“There is a demand for housing due to the influx of people streaming in from the rural areas and surrounding regions who are all in search of greener pastures. Government institutions are setting up new offices in town, which means employment creation, which in turns attracts people to the town who would need housing,” explained Adelheid Shilongo, the public relations officer of the Otjiwarongo Municipality.
Otjiwarongo is strategically located in the centre of Namibia and according to Shilongo an increase in business activities at the town coupled with its central location is resulting in the town experiencing rapid growth. Some of the businesses that recently opened their doors in Otjiwarongo are Plastic Packaging, Farmtrac International, Feedmaster and the B2Gold mine located about 50 km outside the town.
However, one of the challenges that the town experiences due to this high influx of people is a rise in unemployment. One of the avenues the town is pursuing to combat this escalating unemployment is to focus on small and medium enterprise development, which Shilongo said is high on the town council’s agenda. The municipality is also constructing a new open market to assist vendors and SMEs to attract more customers. Many of the vendors in the town have complained that the existing open market, called the Otavi market, does not attract customers because of its location. This has resulted in many vendors illegally relocating to the central business district in the hope of getting more customers.
“In order to address this issue of illegal vending, a public meeting was held with the vendors for suggestions on the ideal location for an open market. The vendors identified the location and a second open market is being built and is in its final stage of development. Once completed all the illegal vendors will be moved to this market,” explained Shilongo. She added that the Otjiwarongo Municipality has created an investor-friendly environment by initiating multi-sectored economic growth.
“Investment proposals are aimed at satisfying the growth potential of investors and residents. In addition to the incentive schemes offered by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Otjiwarongo Municipality also offers a wide range of incentives for prospective investors in an attempt to enhance foreign and local investment in globally competitive industries. The incentives entail negotiation of packages to suit the different needs of every type of new business,” said Shilongo.
Shilongo said the Otjiwarongo Municipality, just like any other municipality, is faced with multiple challenges. “As a service provider the municipality provides services to the community but the major challenge is debt collection. Huge amounts are owed to the municipality by residents who do not pay their bills and these bills keep accumulating.” She added that the municipality recently installed prepaid water meters for residents, which she feels would be a better way of managing and collecting debts. “With these meters residents pay their bills whenever they buy water at a certain ratio, depending on how much they owe the municipality. Civic education is also used to sensitise the community to settle their bills and we explain to them that by doing so benefits are created for both the municipality and the community itself,” she said.
By Edgar Brandt