The Otjiwarongo Town Council has started the process of availing additional land for the informal settlement upgrading to address the need for residential plots.

This was revealed by Otjiwarongo Mayor Gottlieb Shivute during the first council meeting of the year, where he further indicated that plans are underway to re-block Eie Risiko informal settlement into five extensions.

Shivute says for the Eie Risiko settlement, residents there will be conferred with land tenure certificates as the area is being formalised.

A reception area is also being created to enable the Council to accommodate a waiting list of more than 5,000 residents.

"The council has embarked upon a process to plan additional land for the informal settlement to address the need for land. Council will continue the process of re-blocking Eie Risiko Inhabitants into five (5) extensions of formally planned land and conferring land tenure, specifically Block 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7."

Under the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia programme, the council has approved 207 plots for housing development and completion of 19 houses under the Decentralised Build Together Programme.

The mayor added that the Camp 3 plot in the outskirts of the town will be divided into small-scale agricultural plots.

"This involved demarcating plots and running an expression of interest for members of the public to participate. The council further sourced grants from various donors such as SSC, WFP, and UNDP for the provision of water boreholes. So far, a borehole has successfully been drilled by Water Affairs. Decentralised Build Together Programme: 19 out of the 41 houses have so far been completed under Phase 12. The Council is desirous to complete the remainder of the project before the end of the financial year."

Shivute says he is pleased with the ongoing construction of 45 middle- to low-income houses in Orwetoveni Extension 8 as well as Heroes Park Extension 1 to 5.

The project in the area is targeting the establishment of 340 houses.