President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has urged Namibians to use cultural traditions to unite the country, rather than divide its national identity.
Dr. Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasised that preserving languages, customs, and heritage is essential for community building.
Namibia's housing backlog has surpassed 270 thousand units, while more than 200,000 households are now living in informal settlements across the country.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban and Rural Development and Land Reform has raised concerns over the cost of housing, calling for stronger support for affordable housing initiatives.
Renowned economist Martin Mwinga has urged Namibians to take advantage of incentives offered by the government and the private sector to resolve the housing crisis.
Twenty-one low-income residents of Katjinakatji in the Kavango West Region are now homeowners after benefiting from the Shack Dwellers Federation scheme.
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare says the N$500 million allocated towards the formalisation of informal settlements was not sufficient to complete the projects and to expand to other regions.
This was his response to IPC MP Ottilie Haitota, who sought clarity on the progress made with the project.
An allocation of over N$1.5 billion has been made from sources outside the State Revenue Fund for the construction of houses under the National Housing Enterprise (NHE).
The aim of this additional funding is to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing and address the housing backlog.
A memorandum of understanding on housing development has been signed between Helao Nafidi Town Council, the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, and the Namibia Housing Action Group in Helao Nafidi, Ohangwena Region.
The Vice President, Lucia Witbooi, has reiterated efforts to address the country's housing backlog that requires coordinated private and public sector collaboration.
The partnership between Standard Bank Namibia's Buy a Brick initiative and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD) has delivered 73 houses at Onandjaba in the Omusati Region.
The houses are for low-income families at the newly proclaimed Onandjaba Village Council.
