The Maltahöhe village council is pleased with several developments that have occurred over the past four years.
Chairperson Hannah Swartbooi says this marks a significant milestone as they continue to push for town status.
Recent developments in Blikkiesdorp have brought significant improvements to the community, including the formalisation of parts of the settlement.
Many areas now have access to water, with plans to extend electricity to homes in the near future.
Additionally, parts of the Valkamp area have been connected to both water and electricity, while 24 homes built through the Shack Dwellers Housing Project are now receiving water services.
The new Extension 2 area has also gained access to both water and electricity. On top of these developments, road infrastructure in the village is undergoing upgrades.
"We also put in interlocks from the T-junction of the police station up to the hospital. Currently, we have another tender for interlocks from where we have stopped at the end of the hospital road again. We also have plans in the pipeline to place interlocking roads from the T-junction of the tarred road to the location and around the location, coming back again."
Swartbooi suggests that upgrading the area from village to town status could be a game changer in addressing the persistent issue of youth unemployment.
She also emphasized the lack of training facilities in Maltahöhe, which has resulted in many young people being unskilled and uneducated.
This gap, she believes, has pushed many to resort to criminal activities.
However, she also highlighted positive strides being made through agricultural initiatives, in collaboration with the local council and Pro-Namib, aimed at empowering both the youth and elderly to support themselves through backyard gardening projects.
Residents can now take their driving tests locally, with the newly established NATIS office in the area.
This means they no longer need to travel all the way to Mariental for their driver's license.
Plans are also underway to develop a dedicated testing ground for vehicles, further enhancing the convenience for local drivers.