Renthia Kaimbi
The deputy minister of urban and rural development Evelyn Nawases-Taeyele says government efforts to build affordable homes are being slowed by bureaucratic delays in land delivery.
She said housing projects cannot move at the required pace if government entities block each other.
“It won’t make sense when a housing entity of government like National Housing Enterprise (NHE) struggles to acquire land from another government entity such as the local authorities due to affordability,” she said at the handover of 34 new houses in Mariental by NHE on Thursday.
She called the situation “uncalled for” and undermined the public.
Nawases-Taeyele said the Mariental handover reflects a wider national push to reduce the housing backlog.
The handover follows the NHE’s recent delivery of 64 houses in Ondangwa, 30 in Omuthiya and 52 in Okakarara.
“We are not shying away from our bold housing targets. Every year we aim to formalise a substantial number of informal settlements through an intentional formalisation programme,” she added.
The National Housing Enterprise used the event to outline its own plans to scale up delivery.
NHE board deputy chairperson Hasting Tjipueja said the enterprise aims to complete 2 000 housing units in the current financial year.
NHE chief executive officer Gisbertus Mukulu reported progress on several projects across the country.
These include 546 houses in Katima Mulilo, 172 in Nkurenkuru, and 93 in Kalkfeld, with land servicing underway for more than 200 units in Walvis Bay.
Tjipueja said the NHE’s construction model is improving turnaround times by appointing a pool of contractors in all regions.
“The approach to appoint a pool of contractors in all regions… is already showing positive results,” he said.
He added that the average construction time for a house has dropped to under five months.
The 34 houses in Mariental were built at a cost of N$5.9 million and created temporary jobs for more than 150 local residents.
NHE has constructed 160 houses in Windhoek, and this work has now extended to Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.
The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development also announced that the servicing of more than 3 800 plots has started in towns such as Rundu, Nkurenkuru, Katima Mulilo and several coastal areas.
