The Minister of Urban and Rural Development is concerned about the slow pace of development of Bukalo Village Council over the past nine years.

Sankwasa reminded the council that the Swapo Party Manifesto dictates that there is proper sanitation, efficient water, and electricity supply in municipal areas.

Sankwasa visited the Bukalo Village Council as part of his familiarisation tour, where he demanded service from the council to the electorate as promised.

He called upon councillors to ensure that they provide land for housing and other purposes of development.

Sankwasa was also concerned about unoccupied houses at the village council because owners have not been identified.

"But, when we commence with the construction of houses or whatever, we need already to have the occupiers of these houses because we are not going to fall into the pit where houses were constructed under mass housing, but after construction, the houses remain standing for a long time because people who must occupy these houses were not identified at construction. We need to identify and have a list, a waiting list, that as we finish constructing houses, people must start occupying those houses."

He further called upon investors in housing to take into account affordability.

Sankwasa also reiterated that plots must not be less than 300 square metres to allow for future extensions.

"Land in the village council within the parameters of the village must never be administered on tribal lines. It must be given to those that can afford it and those who want to settle in Bukalo, like in Windhoek or elsewhere in Namibia. Provided you are able to buy that plot according to the price established or determined by the village council and are able to build."

He urged the Council to work with the traditional authorities in land acquisition.

Sankwasa has also cautioned councillors to put aside their political affiliations and work as a team.

The Chief Executive Officer for Bukalo Village Council, Ntwala Sazita, informed the minister that the local authority is failing to grow due to a significant number of challenges.

"The first challenge that we have is the staff complement, the structure. We are constructing houses here in Bukalo; we don't have a works inspector, nor do we have qualified personnel in the planning department to do that. As a council we get revenue from land, but we are crippled; we don't have a qualified staff in their planning department to assist us."

The council does not also have an environmental officer and is challenged by a lack of a smart financial system to follow up on the financial report.

There is also no operational equipment and machinery, but the council depends on hiring, which is too expensive.