Khorixas: 445 erven for informal settlement
Earlier this week, deputy minister of urban and rural development, Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele, handed over 445 erven in the Ada-//Naugu informal settlement in Khorixas, and said this will "restore people's dignity".
During the occasion, she said the initiative highlights the importance of all Namibians having an equal opportunity to own land.
"We are restoring the dignity of our people. We are saying to Namibia that all of us must have equal opportunity to access land and with that and other measures, we are promoting the collective welfare of our people.
“We are thus celebrating a landmark in terms of making sure that we continue to score significant victories in the fight against homelessness in our country," she said.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Khorixas’ population – as of last year – stood at around 11 000, based on a general estimate of 3 213 households with an average size of four people per household.
Access to water
According to the deputy minister, the project falls under the Kunene informal settlement upgrade programme, which "made it possible for marginalised people to own land for housing".
While water in the area is currently accessed through communal stand pipes, !Nawases-Taeyele said it is the council’s mission to have each household directly connected to the water supply.
"Access to affordable land, to water and subsequently proper sanitation and hygiene becomes a critical need for our people and therefore I want to encourage the town council to ensure that with giving people access to land, local authorities must prioritise water as key infrastructure to ensure proper sanitation as it brings human dignity for our people.
“That way, we can have many of our citizens living a dignified life," she said.
Furthermore, she revealed that in an effort to see more serviced land for low and ultra-low income groups in Namibia, the ministry has submitted a new housing policy for approval.
"This will help us to boost the delivery of more houses, especially for low income earners and first-time home buyers.”
During the occasion, she said the initiative highlights the importance of all Namibians having an equal opportunity to own land.
"We are restoring the dignity of our people. We are saying to Namibia that all of us must have equal opportunity to access land and with that and other measures, we are promoting the collective welfare of our people.
“We are thus celebrating a landmark in terms of making sure that we continue to score significant victories in the fight against homelessness in our country," she said.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Khorixas’ population – as of last year – stood at around 11 000, based on a general estimate of 3 213 households with an average size of four people per household.
Access to water
According to the deputy minister, the project falls under the Kunene informal settlement upgrade programme, which "made it possible for marginalised people to own land for housing".
While water in the area is currently accessed through communal stand pipes, !Nawases-Taeyele said it is the council’s mission to have each household directly connected to the water supply.
"Access to affordable land, to water and subsequently proper sanitation and hygiene becomes a critical need for our people and therefore I want to encourage the town council to ensure that with giving people access to land, local authorities must prioritise water as key infrastructure to ensure proper sanitation as it brings human dignity for our people.
“That way, we can have many of our citizens living a dignified life," she said.
Furthermore, she revealed that in an effort to see more serviced land for low and ultra-low income groups in Namibia, the ministry has submitted a new housing policy for approval.
"This will help us to boost the delivery of more houses, especially for low income earners and first-time home buyers.”
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