Martin Endjala
In its pursuit of availing urban and low-cost housing, the Oshana Regional Council has made big strides in ensuring that residents have access to affordable land and houses.
This comes after the three towns of Ongwediva, Ondangwa and Oshakati serviced and allocated 863 plots for housing development in Oshana Region during the 2022/2023 Financial Year.
During his State of the Region Address on Friday, Oshana Governor Elia Irimari said that the increasing pace of rural-urban migration continues to escalate the demand for residential and business properties in urban areas in the region.
During the year under review, Irimari says local authorities in the region have been busy planning and establishing new townships to fast-track urban land delivery. At this point, a total of eight townships are being established in the region.
He stated that in a world where the global markets are becoming increasingly intertwined, Namibia has to partake in international trade and geopolitics to ensure the sustainable coexistence and competitiveness of the economies.
Irimari also said that given the pace at which technological advancement and innovation are moving demands, it is very crucial that the country establishes relations and cooperation with advanced nations to forge mutual diplomatic relations and build local capacity for value addition in the agricultural sector, manufacturing and other economic sectors of the economy.
Furthermore, Oshakati Premier Electric provided free electricity connections to 558 households at N$6.2 million during the 2022/23 financial year.
In addition, the government also subsided the cost of electricity for 1,406 households in Oshakati at a cost of N$1.4 million.
During the 2022/23 financial year, Ondangwa Town Council prioritized land servicing to avail land both for residential and business property development.
The Council has serviced and allocated a total 171 residential properties at 26, another 25 residential properties at extension 25, and is now busy finalizing 102 residential properties at extension 28.
Ongwediva Town Council has allocated a development budget of N$42.2 million for urban infrastructure development.
This included the completion of the Construction of Sewer Reticulation Services infrastructure at Ext. 15 phase 2 N$9.5 million, Planning and township establishment of Efidi Ext. 6 at the tune of N$52 174, Construction of a Multi-Purpose Sports Facility phase 3 at N$2.1 million (this is still ongoing) as well as the completion of Skip Container Truck for N$1.3 million and the Upgrading of church street to bitumen standard to the tune of N$8.5 million.
Other projects are still ongoing, Irimari stressed.
ile, The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has allocated N$2.5 million to the Oshana Regional Council for Rural Development Programmes, the Governor revealed.
During the year under review, Oshana Regional Council implemented three programmes Rural Sanitation, Food/Cash for Works, and Micro Finance.
For sanitation provision in rural areas, Oshana Regional Council is in the process of constructing 130 sanitation toilets at N$2.1 million.
“I am pleased to report that this project has employed 92 local young people. In addition, Oshana Regional Council further provided Micro Finance to projects in four constituencies amounting to N$153 845. Seven Food Cash for Works projects have also been implemented, of which some are still ongoing at a combined cost of N$269 230,” expressed the Governor.
The Governor maintained that the region’s commitment to building sustainable energy sources is crucial for the industrialization and general development of the Oshana Region.
To meet the high energy demand and build sustainable energy infrastructure capacity, Oshakati Premier Electric (Pty) Ltd (OPE) together with NamPower are busy upgrading the Oshakati Substation.
During 2022/2023, Oshakati Premier Electric (Pty) Ltd further electrified 270 erven at Evululuko Extension 12 for N$3.8 million. In the same year, Nored Electricity (Pty) Ltd implemented capital projects in the Region for N$1.5 million. This project includes installing a ring feed between Okapya and Baobab Substations for N$500 000 and rehabilitating the Uukwangula bulk supply for N$140 000.
The fencing of various Mini –Substations in the Oshana Region at N$130 000 and the installation of Ekamba’s second bulk supply and recloser for N$300 000, while the maintenance of three substations in Ongwediva and Ondangwa was at N$450 000.
Moreover, the Ministry of Mines and Energy has successfully implemented two rural electrification projects in Ondangwa Town and Otshikolongondjo at costs of N$1.1 million and N$915 137 respectively.
The Governor admitted that Oshana Region faces severe challenges of high unemployment, which is highest among the youth, slow economic growth, limited resources, income inequality, housing backlog, limited water infrastructure, as well as violence against women and children which remain to be addressed.
However, he says he believes that there is an opportunity in unity to address these challenges.
