Land servicing activities that commenced earlier this year in some areas of the Khomas region have already resulted in over 2100 serviced sites. On these sites an estimated 2800 affordable housing units are to be built, with services ranging from consultancy to construction expected to cost around N$900 million.
A statement issued by the Khomas governor’s office on Friday noted that a progress report submitted by the City of Windhoek stipulated that land servicing projects in Goreagab Extension (Ext) 4 (Phase 2), Havana Ext 8, Havana Ext 1, Mix Settlement, Kapuka Nuuyala, Otjomuise Ext 4, and Groot Aub began earlier this year delivering 2132 serviced sites.
“We will continue to demand urgency in the implementation of projects that restore dignity to the undignified living conditions of majority of our citizens. We therefore call on all stakeholders, from the ministry to the municipal leadership and contractors, to maintain unwavering focus on the tasks at hand and ensure that there are no delays in service delivery”, Khomas governor, Sam Nujoma, stated.
“The serviced erven will enable the construction of an estimated total of 2800 affordable housing units. The Municipal Council of Windhoek embarked on several procurement initiatives and successfully managed to put six procurement bids ranging from consultancy services to construction into the market with a total value of N$ 900 million for the various areas listed,” Nujoma added.
The statement further clarified that three consultancy bids were awarded that allowed the construction of services to be advertised in November. The governor’s office elaborated that these advertisements will close at the end of November, with the construction of services to commence by March 2026 once all funding has been made available by Ministry of Urban and Rural Development to Municipal Council of Windhoek to fast-track implementation of land servicing projects. The statement added that when the construction of services is completed, construction of houses will commence.
The governor clarified that earlier this year his office was tasked with the coordination of the Implementation Plan for the Upgrading and Formalisation of Informal Settlement. The governor noted that this coordination role aligns with the constitutional mandate for governors, and the Special Advisors and Regional Governors Appointment Act 6 of 1990. Moreover, the Formalisation and Upgrading of Informal Settlements Project is a government project and its implementation requires the participation and implementation by all relevant Government Offices, Ministries and Agencies (OMAs) and all relevant private stakeholders.
It is against this backdrop that following inter-governmental consultations earlier this year, the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, on 30 May 2025, announced the allocation N$750 million to the Municipal Council of Windhoek. The funding was earmarked for land servicing, and the upgrading and formalisation of informal settlements projects in the Samora Machel, Khomasdal, Tobias Hainyeko Constituency, Moses //Garoeb and the Windhoek Rural Constituencies.
The Municipal Council was expected to formalise 16 townships, provide 5000 serviced erven, 5000 affordable housing units and 250 community ablution facilities. The Ministry conditioned a 60% execution rate by 12 September 2025 and full completion by February 2026.
The Office of the governor further clarified that on 19 August it sought an update on the Municipal Council’s implementation progress. And stated that at a meeting on 20 August 2025 between the Minister of Urban and Rural Development James Sankwasa and the Municipal Council Members and executives, it was revealed that the Municipal Council had not yet accepted the allocated funds. The statement added that in addition, the Management Committee was still deliberating on the allocation and conditions set by the ministry and had not recommended the appointment and allocation of funding to Council for resolution. As a result, the ministry reallocated the funds to other local authorities that had presented their building plans and formally accepted the ministry’s conditions.
“Despite the funding setback, the Municipal Council informed the governor’s office that council has already approved several projects, with procurement and implementation underway. The council also secured procurement exemptions from the Ministry of Finance’s Policy Unit on 20 August 2025 to fast-track Informal Settlement Development Projects previously approved by Municipal Council that exceed the public entities thresholds and timelines. This was quite crucial as most projects are of high value as servicing a typical extension of 300 erven costing is valued at over a N$100 million,” the governor stated.
The statement added that subsequently, the governor held engagements with the Minister of Urban and Rural Development James Sankwasa, Wilhelmine Shivute, the executive director in the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, the Khomas Regional Councillors and the City of Windhoek, and discussed the issue of reallocation of funds to other towns and for the City to provide plans on how the implementation of the project can be expedited.
“In the past few months, the contention between the City of Windhoek and the ministry became apparent and was widely reported in local print media causing delays in the implementation of the project,” Nujoma stated.
The governor added that while delays in the upgrading and formalisation of informal settlements and the reallocation of funds to other local authorities are deeply concerning which in turn delays awarding of construction contracts to complete the servicing of erven, the Office of the Governor as the political head and the representative of central government in the region, remains steadfast in its constitutional oversight role.