Niël Terblanché
Following its recent proclamation into a township, the informal settlement area of Swakopmund, previously known as DRC Airport, will soon begin registering residents as beneficiaries for more formal housing.
Clarence McClune, the Swakopmund municipality’s general manager of Engineering and Planning Service, announced that the new township will now be called Mondesa Extension 14.
Located near the Swakopmund Aerodrome on the eastern side of the coastal town, the DRC Airport area had been used as a temporary settlement in the sprawling DRC informal settlement until it was proclaimed a township earlier this year.
At a community meeting over the weekend, residents applauded the formalization of the area, though some expressed concern about the cost of plots and houses, given the rampant unemployment.
Earlier this month, the Swakopmund municipality made a significant move towards addressing its critical housing shortage through a new agreement signed with the National Housing Enterprise (NHE).
This innovative plan aims to build 805 affordable homes within the sprawling DRC informal settlement, offering approximately 22,000 residents who currently live in shacks the hope of owning a house.
Swakopmund Mayor Dina Namubes stressed that the project will prioritize vulnerable groups, including the disabled, elderly, security personnel, media practitioners, and street vendors.
“This initiative isn’t just about building houses. It is about creating homes for those who need them the most and lifting our community out of the burden of poverty,” she said.
Namubes added that the homes, when eventually built, will be priced between N$90 000 and N$200 000, and are designed to be financially accessible.
The project involves collaboration with small and medium enterprise developers and housing groups such as the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia and Build Together. The town council has already allocated 80 plots to the Build Together group, allowing them to construct and complete their homes with supportive loans.
Namubes said the municipality is committed to ensuring that land management and housing provisions result in tangible benefits for the community.
At the same event, Benedict Louw, a land use expert, called for more aggressive action in constructing houses and urged local councillors to leverage their political influence to effectively address land issues.
Louw criticized the tendency to reserve land for non-residents and highlighted the role of inflated housing prices in exacerbating the housing crisis.
Louw said. He also emphasized the harsh reality facing many low-income families and questioned the affordability of the proposed housing prices for the most vulnerable members of the population.
Louw added that the municipality is optimistic about the housing project’s timeline, expecting construction to start as soon as the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) secures financing.
According to Louw, a performance agreement requires each house to be completed within two to three weeks.
“This rapid turnaround time reflects the urgency of the housing crisis in Swakopmund,” he said.
By the end of 2024, Swakopmund expects to welcome residents into an additional 214 single-family homes from Quintessential Trading Consultancy and 119 from the NHE, further demonstrating the town’s commitment to resolving its housing shortage.
Regarding the proclamation of the new township, the Swakopmund municipality’s spokesperson, Linda Mupupa said the agreement recently signed with the NHE caters to the needs of low-income residents, ensuring that plots and houses will be affordable to those earning less than N$3 000 per month.
