Walvis Bay
Minister of Finance Calle Schlettwein says voluntary land clearing and servicing could help tremendously in reducing the price of erven in the country and called on the public and business community to render support to the mass urban land servicing project, which aims to service 200,000 residential erven.
Schlettwein, who was visiting Walvis Bay Municipality last week to discuss some aspects of the project, said those that have pledged support to government should understand that such assistance should be voluntary. Every aspect of such assistance and agreements will be closely scrutinised by the ministry to ensure it does not enter into agreements that will later surprise government.
He emphasised that all agreements undertaken by the government to speedily carry out the mass urban land-servicing project would be placed under a microscope to ensure there is compliance.
“Let me therefore seize this opportunity to indicate that the price dynamics in the real estate and housing sectors have not lent themselves to the affordability range for especially the low and middle-income earners. The price overshooting has outstripped wage improvements,” he said, adding that average house prices have skyrocketed beyond the range of affordability of low-income earners.
“Therefore, a collective effort is needed to reduce housing and land prices by rendering voluntary services to the project,” Schlettwein argued. He also discussed pertinent concerns, such as the financial aspects of the project, which would see the servicing of several thousand erven at Walvis Bay, Windhoek and Oshakati during the pilot phase.
Schlettwein said government would welcome all assistance, be it in the form of machinery or in any other form, but would not attach any exclusivity to such assistance rendered: “We don’t want to be surprised. Therefore, a committee that will look at all the aspects of the projects to scrutinise any agreement government undertakes with regards to the project has been established.
“We live in a constitutional democracy and a rule-based society. It is within this legal framework that President Hage Geingob has led the way to engage the landless and the youth organised under the Affirmative Repositioning movement and reached an agreement,” he said.
“It should also be noted there is nothing ulterior about the principle need and the demand for land… It is particularly for land and the restoration of the dignity of our people that Namibians rallied together to liberate the country from exclusive and discriminatory practices of the past,” the finance minister explained.
He then added that government would continue to call upon all Namibians to voluntarily participate in servicing identified urban land for future allocation. To that effect, a technical committee has been set up to work out the modalities and logistical issues pertaining to the mass urban land-servicing project.
“In order to implement the agreement government has established an ad hoc committee at ministerial level headed by the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Sophia Shaningwa, as well as Works and Transport Minister, Alpheus !Naruseb and the Attorney General, Sacky Shangala, among others,” Schleittwein elaborated. “This high-level committee is supported by a technical committee,” the finance minister added.
“The bottom line of what government will be able to deliver in the shortest possible time depends on the financial wherewithal to finance the identified units, supported by the voluntary support from civil society and the business community,” he said.
“Let me also mention with appreciation, the many offers of support we have already received from various private sector entities. I also want to renew our call on the business community and players in the financial sector to partner government in this national endeavour.
“When we cooperate and leverage our different strengths, it will greatly enhance our ability to deliver meaningful outcomes to Namibian citizens,” Schlettwein concluded.