Nuusita Ashipala
Ongwediva-Residents of Omatando’s informal settlement in Ongwediva want the Ongwediva Town Council to give them the go-ahead for constructing houses on their plots or to develop existing structures.
The request was made at a public meeting held recently by the town council and the affected residents.
Construction at Omatando has been stopped for some time to allow the council to plan properly to enable them to formalise the area and bring much needed services to residents.
However, the town council has pleaded with the residents to be patient as further construction at Omatando will only be allowed as from next January.
Council will however only allow construction by residents who are in possession of a building plan approved by the town council.
“The aim is to allow the process of formalisation to take place without hindrances and to prevent unnecessary delays,” said public relations officer Jackson Muma.
He said although the formalisation process is lengthy, the council is working tirelessly to ensure the process has been shortened in order to accommodate people in need of land.
Muma said the verification and finalization of the layout is expected to be completed by August 2017.
The land surveying is scheduled to start in September and completed by October 2017.
According to Muma during the planning of the formalisation of Omatando, inputs and comments from the community will be incorporated in the layout, which will form part of the final map.
He added that the halting of construction at Omatando was done in consultation with the concerned community.