TSUMEB - The Tsumeb municipality has commenced with projects to formalise the Kuvukiland informal area, which will be completed by the end of this year.

The town’s spokesperson, Stella Imalwa-Nangolo, told Nampa that the aim is to improve residents’ living conditions through the provision of basic services. It will also ultimately upgrade the status of the entire town.

“We want to improve the status of our town because Tsumeb is one of the tourist destinations in Namibia. So, we want to formalise our informal area,” she noted.

Imalwa-Nangolo added that Kuvukiland is one of the overcrowded informal areas in Tsumeb, with a population of more than 10 000 inhabitants.

The municipality, in conjunction with the National Housing Action Group and the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, started formalisation projects in 2022, and plans to complete the projects by the end of this year.

“We have started upgrading the roads and constructing communal water points, as well as numbering shacks and counting the people living in them,” the spokesperson said.

Imalwa-Nangolo stated that Kuvukiland, the first informal area established in 2009, has now become an area of concern as its inhabitants are living in shacks and poor living standards.

The area is affiliated with some crimes in Tsumeb, which they hope will be curbed once the area is formalised.

She, therefore, encouraged the inhabitants to cooperate with the municipality, as some of them will be expected to relocate during the process.

“It might be a bit difficult to work with people sometimes, but we strongly encourage them to work with us so that we can develop our town,” said Imalwa-Nangolo.  - Nampa