The allocation of land to the Shack Dwellers Federation in Kongola Constituency is offering hope to hundreds of residents seeking decent and affordable housing in the Zambezi Region.

Although access to healthcare and higher-grade schooling remains a challenge, residents are optimistic that plans to extend electricity and water infrastructure will help transform the new settlement.

The land allocation follows efforts by traditional leaders, the Shack Dwellers Federation and the Kongola councillor, whose motion requesting land within the township area was approved by the Zambezi Regional Council.

With over 220 plots already allocated to members who have built permanent structures, approximately 850 new members are still waiting for plots.

Mary Mubumbulwa and Amos Mukena are members of the Shack Dwellers Federation.

"We want to appreciate our Indunas and our Chief Mayuni. They fought for us, and even our councillor, accompanied by Shack Dweller's leader, went to different offices to ask the Zambezi Regional Council for this land."

"Water is a challenge; the people who built the first houses of Shack Dwellers really struggled with water while making bricks. If possible in this area that we are given, we would appreciate if we saw water first before construction starts."

Kongola Constituency Councillor Bennety Busihu says the initiative aligns with the government's housing and land-servicing priorities under the National Development Plan 6 (NDP6).

"I really appreciate this intervention because the Namibian government, under NDP6, prioritises key areas such as land servicing. Of which the government is targeting 5000 ervens that need to be serviced; that's point number 1. Number 2: they are also targeting that, at least in 5 years' time, we should have 55126 houses."

Busihu added that an electricity transformer is already in the area and could provide a starting point for supplying power to the plots, and that the council will also look at extending the existing water reticulation network near the Kongola filling station to serve the settlement.