Nuusita Ashipala
Ongwediva-While the provision of affordable decent housing remains a challenge, Eenhana, Oshakati and Helao Nafidi have managed to relocate thousands of shack dwellers to formalised settlements.
Eenhana this year relocated close to 2 500 people from Ombili squatter settlement to a fully serviced, formalised Ekolola reception area.
Ekolola was serviced at a cost of more than N$4 million.
CEO of Helao Nafidi, Walde Ndevashiya, said the Ombili squatter area has been earmarked for business industrial plots.
However, Ndevashiya noted that more than 3 000 residents still needed to be relocated.
Ndevashiya said council has registered close to 500 people, who are seeking plots from council, including those who have been squatting together with those who were already relocated.
The CEO reckons the exercise is quite a challenge as the demand for housing is on the increase. Hence, council was obliged to compensate additional people to avail space at Ekolola.
The creation of the reception area at Ekolola was driven by the need to ensure that residents have access to basic services.
“Ekolola has been serviced unlike at Ombili where there were no services at all,” said Ndevashiya.
Still on housing, the Oshakati Town Council has under the current financial year availed N$7 million for the servicing of 400 erven at the Onawa reception area.
The servicing of the first phase of 400 plots will commence in January.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the commencement of servicing of the plots was done in November.
Altogether, council has made provision for 3 000 plots at the Onawa reception area.
The area will be serviced in due time depending on the availability of funds.
Similarly, the Helao Nafidi Town Council recently allocated business plots to close to 500 residents, who formally operated from the Okatwitwi informal settlements.
The mayor at the town, Eliaser Nghipangelwa, said the area where the people were relocated to has been fully serviced and the council is in the process of registering the plots under the new owners.