By John Muyamba
RUNDU – Nkurenkuru the regional capital of the newly proclaimed Kavango West is expecting an upsurge in business development.
Speaking to New Era the Chief Executive Officer of Nkurenkuru Town Council, Petrus Sikongo Sindimba, said the council started preparing for a business boom even before Nkurenkuru was proclaimed a town in 2006.
“We started from scratch and had a strategic and master plan in place. We started dividing the land for residential, business and institutional purposes and then worked on the town planning scheme which guides us,” explained Sindimba.
He said they initially started with Extension One, which is referred to as Nkurenkuru Proper where 392 plots were surveyed and Kahenge, referred to as Kahenge Proper that comprises 265 residential plots.
“We have completed servicing them. As for now we have planned and surveyed about five extensions which brings the number of plots to over 2 000 including the CBD. We plan to develop another residential location which is Extension Five,” said the CEO.
Sindimba said land has been given to the Ministry of Health and Social Services to build a district hospital and clinic, while land is also available for the construction of regional council and government offices.
He said the council was also approached by the International University of Management (IUM) for the purchase of land to build its planned satellite campus at the town.
“Government institutions can come and render services to our people. They have no excuse not to come as we can provide them with land and other services they may need,” he said.
He said many big retail businesses are eyeing Nkurenkuru.
“We already have Shoprite and Woermann Brock is busy constructing their shop,” Sindimba told New Era.
Sindimba appeals to property developers to invest in Nkurenkuru that he says is in need of shopping malls, filling stations and other businesses to cater for the town’s growing population.
Nkurenkuru has about 10 000 inhabitants and is located 140 km west of Rundu, near Katwitwi Border Post between Namibia and Angola.