The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, has inaugurated a N$1,8 million settlement office funded by the Erongo Regional Council at the coastal settlement of Wlotzkasbaken.
Wlotzkasbaken is a settlement about 30 kilometres north of Swakopmund.
It is a holiday settlement predominantly occupied by white people since colonial times, when the land was leased to holiday makers, who used it as an angling spot.
Over 100 plots were surveyed and laid out in the late 1960s, but development here has been slow.
The Erongo Regional Council has had jurisdiction over Wlotzkasbaken since 1993, and the plan was to expand the settlement.
The Home Owners Association agreed to accept a proposed layout, but on conditions to which the council did not agree.
This led to a series of legal actions that saw the parties in and out of court for several years, but the issue was resolved in 2016.
The Chairperson of Erongo Regional Council, Benita Imbamba, says, "The issue of Wlotzkasbaken has come a long way. I am therefore pleased that we could end that past and look forward to developing this beautiful settlement for all Namibians to enjoy, especially since it offers great potential for tourism development and angling."
The latest addition to the infrastructure at the settlement is a N$1.8 million building inaugurated by the Urban and Rural Development Minister, who is also pleased that the Erongo Regional Council is in the process of approving building plans for the settlement.
The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, says, "The approval of proposed township establishments and subsequent creation of an additional 470 erven within Wlotzkasbaken Settlement have also been obtained together with the proposed structure plan and town planning scheme for Wlotzkasbaken Settlement."
Described as an urban settlement, each of the bold, colourful houses here has solar panels and water tanks mounted on the roof. A water truck fills up the tanks when necessary.
The regional council indicated that a master plan for water provision has been completed, while the water reservoir and construction of a 5-kilometre pipeline from the desalination plant are underway.