Tsumeb
Tsumeb Mayor Veueza Kasiringua is in negotiations with various stakeholders to set up a university at the town, which will cater for students in the north-central regions and the country at large.
Once all the parties agree to the proposal, it would open the way for the construction of a new university of science and technology in the town next year.
Kasiringua would, however, not touch on the cost, saying it is still too early to talk about finances, considering that the project is still in the proposal phase.
She revealed this in a wide-ranging interview wherein she highlighted this as one of the pertinent issues topping her agenda, together with the speedy provision of serviced land and the expansion of water services to the informal housing sector.
Kasiringua said the new university would be a joint project between the mines, town council and central government.
“The idea dates back to last year and we have spoken to a numbers of stakeholders and investors, which have so far showed interest in the project. So, just give me a year from now and we shall see the way forward as for now it is still an infant project,” Kasiringua said.
She noted that a university at the town would greatly enhance the educational level in the region, thus luring back its former inhabitants to return to develop the town and thus reduce unemployment.
“We’ve already earmarked the Otavi-Tsumeb-Grootfontein-Oshivero crossroad land for the project once it becomes a reality. We, as council, have assurances that the project will kick off,” she said.
In the same vein she noted that Tsumeb Town Council has embarked on a massive land servicing project, whereby they aim to provide low, middle and upmarket houses, as well as resettling those in the Soweto informal settlement.
“We want to expand the town and thus keep it clean. That is why we want to minimise the informal settlements and provide them with decent shelter. In order for us to restore the face of Tsumeb, we have to start cleaning from the inside. It doesn’t look good to look clean on the outside, if it’s dirty on the inside,” the mayor said.
Reiterating that the speedy implementation of these developments will depend on the budget approval from the line ministry.
“We are talking about capital projects here, not small money. That’s why at the moment I cannot even say how much is going to be spent until we have received the finances. That is when we can break it down, as per the detailed expenses. This will be revealed in due course,” she said.
She further gave assurances that illegal squatting on municipal land will soon be a thing of the past, as the municipality will demolish the makeshift houses as soon their owners relocate them.