Republikein Newspaper

Despite setting sights on delivering 430 serviced erven for residential, business and institutional purposes during the 2017/18 financial year, the City of Windhoek (CoW) failed to make a single plot available.

“The total number of serviced plots for the 2017/2018 financial period is zero. This reflects negative performance against then the initial target of 430,” reads as section of the council’s latest annual report.

Another reason is “a moratorium on the Build Together Scheme since fraudulent activities were detected. The new management is busy revising the current system to implement control measures prior to reactivating the said scheme.”

The CoW also targeted the delivery of 470 affordable houses through the Mass Housing Project and the Windhoek Housing and Build Together Schemes.

This target was also not realised as the City failed to handover any houses during the period under review.

Meanwhile, plots serviced through public private partnerships were 214, while the initial target was 529.

However, the City remains committed to proclaiming more serviceable land, despite being in a precarious financial position.

Money

“Service delivery remains a priority especially for marginalised communities who are in dire need of basic service. Unfortunately, the City’s financial position continues to hamper the implementation of many key projects.

“The Debt Book (accounts receivable 30 days and above) was N$655 million as at 30 June 2017 and stood at N$637 million on 30 June 2018,” CoW chief executive officer, Robert Kahimise, states in the report.

The failure is attributed to budgetary constraints, scarce resources concentrating on availing land through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and ambitious target.

“Land and housing delivery remain a critical priority both at local and national levels and all efforts must be made to secure adequate funding and staff to ensure that the national development goals are met within met within the 2017-2022 strategic horizon,” another part reads.

Further, on the land delivery front, a total of 100 erven were allocated to the youth and 80 to the City’s staff in Khomasdal's Extension 16.

“Sales in Ext 16 are ongoing. The next step will be to proceed with the signing of deeds, collection of land sales and transfer of ownership of land,” it further reads. – Nampa