Otjozondjupa Regional Council Chairperson, Marlyn Mbakera, says they are hard at work to improve living conditions at Kalkfeld Settlement and move it towards Village Council status.
Council is busy introducing various developmental projects related to housing, water, and sewer connections, as well as empowering self-employed individuals.
Mbakera says the council has since 2021 allocated 120 plots, in two phases, at Dinosdal Settlement for residential housing units and business plots.
503 plots are on a waiting list for formalization.
Plans are also underway for CENORED to electrify 80 houses under the Shack Dwellers Federation and Build Together Project.
"Our aim is to ensure that Kalkfeld moves up to its initial status as a Local Authority. Therefore, the Otjozondjupa Regional Council places high emphasis on uplifting Kalkfeld through various development projects at its disposal. Among the projects that the Regional Council has undertaken for Kalkfeld are plot allocations. Phase one of Kalkfeld Dinosdal, where we have allocated 59 plots in 2021 is zoned residential, and phase two of Dinosdal, where we have allocated 61 plots in 2022 is also zoned residential. In Phase 2, Kalkfeld allocated nine business plots in 2022."
Another project is the Dinosdal Water Reticulation Project, funded at a total cost of N$583,000.
The project to connect new plots started in January this year and is set for completion this month.
A supermarket is the first business to rent space in the modernized market, built eight years ago. The venue was deemed inaccessible, though, due to high rental prices.
"We went as far as engaging the CEO, who is no longer at NiDA, to really look at reducing the prices drastically so that we could invite business owners to come in and open. As we are talking now, in December, Kalkfeld opened a supermarket, the first in a long time that people can go make a trade; people are buying groceries, people are buying alcohol, and it's a beautiful shop where people can do business in. People of Kalkfeld don't need to go to Otjiwarongo anymore."
Located 70 kilometers from Otjiwarongo, Kalkfeld is home to over 5,000 residents.