Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The City of Windhoek plans to relocate 644 households from the Mixed informal settlement to pave the way for formalisation efforts in a project estimated to cost over N$251 million.
The decision was discussed during a quarterly meeting of the Council Advisory Committee on the Formalisation of Informal Settlements and Integration of Groot Aub held on 22 April.
The new layout plan for the Mix informal settlement accommodates only 830 of the 1 474 households counted in March.
This necessitates the relocation of nearly half of the community, either within the settlement or to alternative locations.
The chairperson of the committee, councillor Ivan Skrywer, said the city was working “tirelessly” to resolve the relocation matter before implementing full-scale formalisation.
“The City of Windhoek is working tirelessly to provide a solution for the 644 households before embarking on a full-scale formalisation. The City of Windhoek is working closely with both the regional and national governments to attain the desired development level,” he said.
The formalisation process will include legalising land tenure and upgrading basic services such as water, sanitation, roads, and electricity.
The public has not yet received information on the relocation’s start date or the locations of the affected residents.
Some residents say they feel left out of the decision-making process.
Elina Niita Shiningayamwe, who has lived in Mix for over 10 years, says the community is confused and concerned about their future.
“They have not told us where we are going or when. We want development, but we also need to be part of the conversation. Even now, we still struggle with access to clean water and other services,” she said.
The broader meeting also discussed infrastructure valuation in Groot Aub, where Burmeister and Partners Consulting Engineers are conducting audits of municipal electrical assets.
This is expected to assist the city in finalising asset transfers to NamPower, which will enable network expansion to more households.
Additionally, from 14 May to 26 July, CoW’s Public Participation Team will be conducting awareness sessions in Groot Aub.
These sessions aim to educate residents about land ownership, environmental protection, and the reporting of illegal activities such as land grabbing and sand mining.
The CoW legal department is expected to visit the affected sites to assess the legal steps needed to address the obstructions.
