OTJIWARONGO – Although progress regarding the mass housing project in many towns has been slow due to various reasons, mainly contractors not meeting stipulated deadlines, Otjiwarongo could soon hit the record with the completion of close to 77 houses which are already standing.
Otjiwarongo Mayor Hilda Jesaja yesterday revealed that the houses currently being built in Otjiwarongo are built on NHE (National Housing Enterprise) plots which it bought from the municipality in 2009.
The Otjiwarongo Town Council received about N$44 million from the central government for the next three years as its first share of the national mass housing scheme.
Jesaja said the N$44 million is to be disbursed over three years, starting with a N$17 million tranche in each of the first and second years (2014/2015), while the remaining N$10 million will be paid in 2016.
NHE was appointed as government’s execution agency for mass housing.
The project will be executed in phases and phase one,under which the current activities are executed, will see 10 043 houses being completed within 24 months countrywide, according to the master plan.
The first phase is expected to end on March 31, 2016.
The service provider reined in for the Otjiwarongo mass housing project is Newcomers contractor.
Meanwhile, the town council public relations officer, Adelheid Shilongo, explained that so far two extensions have been earmarked for mass housing which are Freedom Park and Heroes Park.
“Unfortunately those areas are not yet serviced hence the delay in starting with the mass housing project in those areas,” she said.
In this regard, the Otjozondjupa regional governor, Samuel Nuuyoma, told New Era that close to 1 000 houses under the mass housing initiative are expected to be built at the town depending on the availability of serviced land.
“There is huge progress with the current houses. The contractor is on schedule, there is no problem. The land for the next phase is available, it just needs to be serviced and then construction could start next year,” said Nuuyoma.
Recently, the Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development, Retired Major-General Charles Namoloh threatened to withdraw tenders of mass housing contractors who fail to deliver on stipulated deadlines.
There have been reports of delays by contractors regarding the completion of the mMass housing projects which are spread over 27 local authorities countrywide.
Cenored will soon connect electricity for the two low-income areas, while the municipality will install water meters.
Otjiwarongo local authority was also among the councils which were found to have spent its money well in the implementation of the NDP (National Development Plan) budget allocations for the periods 2013/2014 and 2015/2016.
In particular, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs commended the municipality for the manner in which it spent N$7.7 million on capital projects for upgrading sewerage and water reticulation infrastructure, servicing of new extensions and tarring roads.
Council installed 1600 water meters in Tsaraxa-Aibes informal settlement.
Otjiwarongo, which is strategically situated in the centre of Namibia, faces an ever increasing influx of people from other areas looking for jobs and houses.
Unfortunately such people however find themselves in informal settlements living in deplorable conditions due to lack of housing, unavailable clean water and no ablution facilities, among other basic services.
Many threatened to boycott the upcoming presidential and National Assembly elections set in a week’s time saying they are “fed up with government’s empty promises in providing them with basic services.”
However, the governor said the government is not just promising, it is acting on its promises.
“These people are in the municipality’s jurisdiction which is doing its best. I know they are provided with pre-paid meters to get water in those informal settlements. The municipality is not just idling, they are working. It is just that they need funds. Some of those informal settlements are also beneficiaries of the mass housing. Government will take care of its people and it cannot act in one day for everyone in the country,” Nuuyona remarked.
By Albertina Nakale