The Mayor of Windhoek, Ndeshihafela Laranja, says there is a need to accelerate land servicing and service delivery due to the rapid increase in the city's population.
With more than 40% of the city's population living in informal settlements, the council has set out to deliver 12,000 erven in its 2022 to 2027 five-year strategic plan period, at an estimated value of N$2.7 billion.
The mayor said this when she laid out her plans in the City of Windhoek chambers on Wednesday.
The city will require an additional N$7.8 billion for servicing land for the 52,000 households received due to rapid urbanisation from 2011 to 2025.
"Today, we begin a new approach—one that acknowledges our systemic challenges, one that speaks to our City's potential, and one that outlines how, working together, we will turn Windhoek into a known model of governance excellence, investment attraction, and sustainable urban development as provided for in our policies and strategies and guiding interventions."
In its battle against crime, the City also plans to install 2,000 CCTV cameras within Windhoek to monitor criminal activities and ensure the safety of residents and their belongings.
She also stated that they will be drawing up an informal market master plan due to the shortage of trading spaces.
The mayor also addressed some of the challenges faced by the council regarding service delivery constraints, lack of collaboration between the government and the private sector, and public participation.
She stated that her intention is to drive the execution of transformational projects and become a government hub.
"I undertake, among others, to champion investment attraction: positioning Windhoek as a regional and continental economic hub and investment-friendly city. Service Delivery Acceleration: Ensuring that infrastructure projects, sanitation expansion, and urban development programs are executed with speed and efficiency."
The mayor further stated that through a monthly governance reporting mechanism, the council will ensure that every government decision, project milestone, and development intervention will be shared with the public in accordance with the established legal framework.