Swakopmund Mayor Dina Namubes says the town faces a major housing crisis due to rapid urbanisation and a growing slum population.

Namubes says new and targeted approaches to affordable housing are needed for the town to make cities inclusive, spur economic growth, and expand job opportunities.

The DRC informal settlement is one such settlement that sprang up in 2001, where shacks built with corrugated iron sheets and carton matchbox shelters house more than 20,000 people without basic sanitation or property rights.

Hundreds of backyard tenants at Walvis Bay gathered in front of the town's municipality to apply for land at portion 23 of Farm 37.

A 25-year-old man, Mandela Afrikaner Mbaunguraiye, allegedly set his girlfriend's shack on fire, resulting in the deaths of the woman, their two children, and himself at Karibib.

The Erongo Police have confirmed the incident, which happened on Sunday morning.

It is alleged that the girlfriend, 23-year-old Josephine Nauses, reported Mbaunguraiye at the police station for domestic violence on Saturday and that she wanted him removed from her home.

President Nangolo Mbumba says reading is a gateway to knowledge, a catalyst for imagination, and a cornerstone of education.

Speaking at the opening of the world's largest floating book fair, Logos Hope at Walvis Bay, Dr. Mbumba said reading books opens doors to new ideas and broadens one's perspective.

Represented by the Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture, Anna Nghipondoka, the president urged parents and guardians to instill a love for reading books in their children as early as possible.

Saltiel Kalola, the Director of the African Counselors Social Development Association, emphasizes the importance of joint efforts from the government and civil society organizations to develop and implement programs aimed at eradicating poverty and creating jobs.

Kalola made these remarks during the launch of the Youth Brick Project in Walvis Bay.

With the nation's poverty index standing at around 28.7% and a high rate of youth unemployment above 40%, Kalola believes that the government and private sectors must collaborate to address these issues.

The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, has urged the Uis community to unite and work together to develop the settlement. Unity, he adds, is important for the growth of the settlement and, notably, for advocating the return of Uis to local authority status.

Uis is located at the foot of Brandberg Mountain and is home to the White Lady rock painting, believed to be over 20 thousand years old. This rock art site attracts travellers to Uis, providing residents with an opportunity to earn a living through tourism in Damaraland.

The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, says the newly inaugurated Uis Settlement Office is a clear testament to bringing services close to the people.

The office was constructed at a cost of N$11 million.

Uutoni applauded the Erongo Regional Council for expressing sound leadership, management, and dedication to duty that has yielded tangible results, such as the Uis settlement office.

He further says that the regional councils are responding to the developmental needs of the people to steer a change in the service delivery cycle.

The Mass Housing Development Programme has made another deposit of 119 houses at Matutura Extension 9 in Swakopmund, narrowing the housing gap in the country.

The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, says this shows the government's commitment to addressing the housing backlog.

The 119 houses that were handed over are the last batch of the 319 houses that were given to New Era Investments for completion in 2022.

Uutoni noted, with great appreciation, that the 319 houses have been completed ahead of schedule.

The recent preliminary result from the National Statistics Agency (NSA) reveals that the Swakopmund constituency population stands at close to 76,000, making it the largest constituency in Namibia, nearly three times its size since its inception in 1992.

With the population increase and expansion, the town's leadership strongly proposes that the constituency be split into two, but there is a question mark regarding this.

They claim that doing so will create room for an additional constituency to ensure the smooth provision of government services and service delivery.

President Nangolo Mbumbu says the ocean, on which billions of people depend, is under threat from climate change and the harmful activities of humans.

Dr. Mbumba made this statement during the 32nd World Ocean Day commemoration held under the theme "Catalysing Action for Our Ocean and Climate" at Walvis Bay Independence Beach today.

President Mbumba says that rising sea levels, ocean acidification, plastic pollution, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing practices are just a few of the challenges faced.