For decades, the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) has been the government’s principal vehicle to meet one of Namibia’s most pressing social needs: decent and affordable housing. Yet the promise of shelter for all has repeatedly been deferred. Backlogs have grown. Informal settlements have multiplied. The gap between aspiration and reality remains a national embarrassment.
With the ink now dry on a five-year collaboration agreement between the NHE and the Roads Contractor Company (RCC), the message is unmistakable: it is now or never for the NHE to prove that it can deliver on its founding mandate.
The agreement signed this week is not merely bureaucratic paperwork; it is a practical blueprint for unlocking long-delayed projects. Under the pact, the RCC will contribute its civil engineering and infrastructure know-how, roads, stormwater drainage, water and sewerage reticulation, and electrification, while the NHE will focus on what it is supposed to do best: building top structures. Joint steering and technical committees will oversee the work.
This division of labour makes sense. Affordable housing cannot exist without the infrastructure that makes homes liveable. As RCC interim chief executive Dasius Nelumbu rightly put it, “Affordable housing is not possible without proper infrastructure.” By bringing the RCC’s engineering muscle into the equation, the partnership addresses the very bottlenecks, serviced land and essential utilities that have slowed housing delivery for years.
The weight of history
But partnerships and plans are not enough. The NHE’s own record demands a healthy dose of scepticism. Established in 1993 to spearhead mass housing development, it has too often fallen short of targets. Political wrangling, limited budgets, weak project management and poor accountability have left a legacy of underperformance.
The result is plain to see: a housing backlog estimated in the hundreds of thousands and growing informal settlements ringing our towns and cities. For the ordinary Namibian family seeking a modest, affordable home, NHE’s promises have often sounded like echoes, hopeful words that fade before bricks and mortar appear.
It is against this backdrop that the NHE–RCC agreement must be judged. NHE chief executive Gisbertus Mukulu spoke of “leveraging on each other’s expertise” and “maximising the number of houses delivered annually.” He is correct, but words alone will not shelter families.
This is a moment of reckoning. The NHE must demonstrate, quickly and visibly, that it has learnt from past missteps. Delivery timetables must be public and binding. Project budgets must be transparent. Communities must be consulted, not merely informed. The five-year window is not a cushion for more delay; it is a deadline.
Why “now or never” is no exaggeration
Namibia’s demographic clock is ticking. The population continues to urbanise; the demand for affordable homes grows daily. If NHE cannot turn this new partnership into real roofs over real families within the next five years, the institution’s very relevance will be in question. The government and the public will have every right to ask whether the NHE, in its current form, deserves to exist.
Moreover, the economic and social costs of continued failure are severe. Informal settlements are not merely eyesores; they are flashpoints for disease, crime, and social instability. Young professionals priced out of the formal market face stunted life prospects. The national economy loses productivity when a basic human need, shelter, is out of reach for so many.
Seizing the opportunity
To avoid that fate, the NHE must embrace a new culture of urgency and accountability. It should publish clear annual targets for serviced plots and completed houses. It must strengthen procurement processes to guard against corruption and cost overruns. It should partner with local authorities, private developers, and financial institutions to expand financing options for low-income buyers.
Most importantly, it must treat this partnership not as a one-off project but as a turning point: a chance to re-establish public trust. Every house completed on time and within budget will be a visible symbol that NHE has finally shifted from rhetoric to results.
The burden does not rest solely on NHE’s shoulders. Government must provide the enabling policy framework and funding commitments. Local authorities must expedite approvals and provide land. The RCC must deliver infrastructure to the highest standards. Civil society and the media must keep watch, holding all parties accountable.
The NHE has been given many second chances. This partnership with the RCC may well be its last, best opportunity to prove its worth. Failure will invite calls for restructuring or even replacement. Success will mean more than houses built: it will mean dignity restored, hope rekindled, and a decisive step toward the constitutional promise of adequate housing for every Namibian.
It is, quite simply, now or never.
