Sostenus Wilherm
The City of Windhoek has relocated 309 households from the Moses //Garoëb constituency to Havana Extensions 8 and 11, with the move expected to improve road access for emergency vehicles and strengthen the council’s response to fires and other emergencies in the constituency.
The households are now seated according to the approved and proposed township layouts, a development the City of Windhoek says will create clearer routes and improve connectivity in the rapidly growing informal settlement.
The relocation was highlighted during a public meeting at the Max Mutongolume TB Clinic, where residents raised concerns about safety, water supply and other service-delivery challenges.
The council said the relocation would improve access for emergency vehicles, an important development in settlements where poor road connectivity can delay emergency response, particularly during fires.
Havana Extension 8 has already been approved by the urban and regional planning board, surveyed and is currently being registered at the deeds office.
Extension 11 has been submitted to the urban and regional planning board for consideration.
The relocation forms part of a wider programme by the city to upgrade informal settlements in Moses //Garoëb through formal township planning, improved land administration and infrastructure development.
Five townships have been planned for the constituency, with three townships on Farms 1028 and 1029 already approved and recommended by council. Environmental impact assessments have also been completed for all five planned townships.
The City of Windhoek’s approach is intended to provide a more structured basis for the development of roads and other services while improving the administration of land and households.
Significant progress has also been recorded in the surveying and documentation of informal settlements.
According to the council, 16 588 structures have been numbered and 10 887 households surveyed. A total of 7 318 certificates have been printed, with 6, 115 already issued. In Moses //Garoëb, 1 500 water forms have also been issued.
Despite the progress, residents continue to face challenges around access to water, safety and other basic services, highlighting the pressure placed on the municipality by the rapid expansion of informal settlements.
The council is continuing with household relocations, reorganisation, mapping and digitisation in several settlements, including Max Mutongolume, Kavikunua, Kambahahiza and Mandume Ndemufayo.
Another development in the constituency is the construction of a district hospital following the allocation of land for the facility.
The hospital is expected to bring healthcare services closer to residents and add critical public infrastructure to an area where demand for services continues to grow.
The relocation also enables the City of Windhoek to plan future infrastructure around an established township layout rather than settlements developing without coordinated planning.
However, the relocation is only one component of the broader upgrading process. The council will still need to address residents’ concerns over water, safety and other essential services if the formalisation process is to translate into meaningful improvements in living conditions.
It maintains that the developments are laying the foundation for safer, better serviced and more sustainable communities in the Moses //Garoëb constituency.
