RUNDU - The Divundu Village Council through funds from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has offered loans amounting to N$2 million to 25 low-income earners to build low-cost houses at Divundu.

This is part of the ministry’s mission of housing delivery countrywide.

According to the village council’s CEO Athanasius Maghumbo, due to a lack of serviced land at Divundu, loans were given to those who have been allocated fully serviced land in the past but have not managed to put up permanent structures yet. 

“We gave a maximum of N$80 000 each to 25 beneficiaries and they are all low-income earners following the ministry’s criteria,” said Maghumbo, who has been inviting developers to approach his office for virgin land deals to develop and build houses for the village’s inhabitants.

Housing is a challenge in Divundu, but it is something the council and government want to change.

During a recent housing handover in Rundu, urban and rural development minister Erastus Uutoni said he wants to intensify the Build Together programme, through which every citizen can build houses. 

Uutoni said what needs to be done is for the councillors and administration to ensure that they have serviced land in their local authorities to allocate to low-income members of society as Build Together is the way to go.

“We are embarking on a system that we want everyone to participate in, and that is through Build Together and the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia,” Uutoni said then.