Housing and land delivery for low-income earners in the Kunene Region, including the upgrading of the informal settlements, is taking shape.
At Khorixas, 445 plots were handed over to the residents of the Ada-||Naugu informal settlement to build their houses.
The allocated plots are for 1,025 applicants on a waiting list.
Of these, 56 are categorised for pensioners and 22 for people living with disabilities, while 104 are for the members of the Shack Dwellers Federation, all sold at N$15,00 per square metre.
Although the plots are currently located in an unserviced area, individual standpipes for direct water supply will be put up soon.
The plots were handed over to the residents by the Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele.
"Access to affordable land, to water, and subsequently to proper sanitation and hygiene becomes a critical need for our people, and therefore I want to encourage the town council to ensure that with giving people access to land, local authorities must prioritise water as key infrastructure to ensure proper sanitation as it brings human dignity for our people."
!Nawases-Taeyele stressed that sustainable and people-centred development initiatives will enjoy the government's support.
The Kunene Governor, Marius Sheya, explained that the informal settlement upgrade was adopted to replicate the Shack Dwellers Federation modalities and address the housing backlog in the region.
"Last year already, we introduced a running phase or a test, which was in Kamanjab, and it was very successful. We started with only 10 houses and 10 erfs. And as we speak now, Kamanjab has been allocated about N$5 million to continue with 100 plots on a large scale and to see how best we can make use of that, and these are houses and plots, honourable deputy minister, where we are saying, where people are now, let us formalise their plots where they are."
Also addressing the event was Khorixas Deputy Mayor, Patience !Hoaes.
"At Ada-||Naugu informal settlement, we are planning on building 678 houses. There are 13 public spaces. We have left 8 spaces for business. We have also left two spaces for tertiary institutions. 103 are allocated for the Shack Dwellers Federation out of the 600 that are planned. So far, 19 brick houses have been built in the area."
On behalf of the recipients, Frieda Nguazireko had this to say.
"Now that you have land, stand up for it. Like the others are doing, start selling sweets and airtime vouchers, so we can start paying for services. So that our grandchildren must not come and live at other family houses. If you don't pay, the land will be repossessed. Let's be serious."