ONDANGWA – The Ondangwa Town Council has proposed to rezone the Omashaka informal settlement to enable it to segregate residential erven from business plots.
Currently, there is no distinct between the two, as the area earmarked for residential is dominated by shebeens. The rezoning will thus pave way for the town council to identify and to establish a formal business area.
The status quo at Omashaka disadvantages home owners particularly school going learners, as the area is highly polluted with noise, leaving them with no place to study.
The proposal to rezone Omashaka was done at a recent council meeting.
Councillors thus proposed that a survey be done to establish the number of shebeens that are currently at Omashaka.
Giving an insight of the situation at Omashaka, the Manager of Infrastructure, Planning and Technical Service Petrus Shipanga said the number of shebeens at the moment outweighs the housing units.
To add salt to the wound, Shipanga said some people have come to put shebeens at Omashaka, yet are not residents there or the town itself.
“The majority of the people there are not in need of housing, and that is causing those who are really in need of housing at the town to be left behind,” said Shipanga.
Although the councillors had initially suggested that the council halts allocating business plots at the area, the mayor at the town Paavo Amwele said it was important for council to allow its residents to uplift themselves out of poverty.
He said the council should also be cognisant there are upcoming entrepreneurs who cannot afford the business plots already availed elsewhere in town.
“We can get them business plots far from the houses. However, we should not deny our people an opportunity to create an income for themselves,” said Amwele.