Kuzeeko Tjitemisa
Windhoek-The City of Windhoek is set to make the plight of the soaring population in Windhoek’s of informal settlement residents a top priority.
Windhoek’s mayor Muesee Kazapua made this promise to Minister of Urban and Rural Development Sophia Shaningwa last week.
Kazapua made the promise during the handover of a cheque for N$140,770 collected through the Land-A-Dollar Campaign, launched by University of Namibia student leaders in August 2015.
“Let me assure you honourable minister that the plight of Havana and Goreangab residents and those of many other informal settlements are in the city plans for this year,” Kazapua said.
Residents of the Havana and Goreangab Dam informal settlements are among those hardest affected by the outbreak of hepatitis E that the authorities detected in mid-December 2017. The virus is concentrated in the informal settlements of Havana, Goreangab, Hakahana, Greenwell Matongo, Ombili and some other parts of the broader Katutura area.
The spread of the virus has steadily increased across the Havana and Goreangab informal settlements in Windhoek, with 70 new cases reported in four days. Only one death has been reported so far. In addition, Kazapua told the gathering that Windhoek was one of the local authorities that was currently benefiting from the massive urban land-servicing project.
He said this intervention would see about 330 plots in total made available to residents in Goreangab Extension 4.
He further noted that Goreangab Extension 4 was the first area where the country witnessed members of the public contributing to the servicing of residential land.
These contributions included land clearing – an initiative started by the youth. “It is humbling to note that institutions, such as Unam, and the youth that came up with this innovative idea are from Windhoek.
“So, it is therefore only correct for me to appreciate your effort, and encourage you not to stop at anything, in your quest to search for housing solutions for our people,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development Derek Klazen, CoW Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Robert Kahimise, University of Namibia Dean of Students Margareth Mainga and members of the Unam Student’s Representative Council also attended the handover ceremony.