Lüderitz
The mayor of Lüderitz, Hilaria Mukapuli, has briefed the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Sophia Shaningwa, that housing contractors at Lüderitz usually have to deal with rocky terrain when they build houses for those in need of decent shelter.
She said some houses are built on hard rock, which is very uneven, which causes the cost of the foundation to be higher than for houses built in flat areas.
She further noted that installing services on land which is rocky is more expensive than in other parts of the country. Mukalupi therefore urged the minister‘s office to look at that aspect when allocating funds to Lüderitz for servicing land or for the construction of houses.
Mukapuli made the remarks on Saturday when the urban and rural development minister handed over several houses constructed under the mass housing programme that is intended to alleviate the critical housing shortage in the country.
During Saturday’s ceremony Shaningwa officially handed over five low-cost houses constructed under the mass housing project after she did so in other regions.
Shaningwa said that only those without decent shelter should benefit from the mass housing programme, and reiterated her earlier appeal that housing recipients not sell their houses in the next 10 years.
The beneficiaries are prohibited from erecting any zinc structures or shacks on the land or around the houses that have been sold to them.
They were instructed to honour their monthly mortgage payment, as the government needs that money to build houses for other needy Namibians.
She also advised beneficiaries not to abandon their jobs as they will not be able to pay for the house if they don’t work.
Shaningwa was accompanied by her Deputy Minister Derek Klazen, among other delegates.