Media Monitoring on Urban Development in Namibia

Media Monitoring on Urban Development in Namibia is a service provided by Development Workshop Namibia (DWN), a newly registered Namibian NGO with a focus on sustainable urban development and poverty reduction. DWN is part of a world-wide network of Development Workshop (DW) organisations with centres in Canada, Angola and France, and offices in Vietnam and Burkino Faso. It was founded in the 1970s by three Canadian architect students and has been funded by non-governmental organisations, private citizens, and national and international development organisations.

In Namibia, DWN’s activities focus on urban related research, effective urban planning for the urban poor, solutions to informal settlements, water & sanitation, and projects specifically targeting disadvantaged segments of the urban youth. Through 40 years of engagement on urban issues mainly in Africa and Asia, the DW network of organisations has acquired significant institutional knowledge and capacity and is well integrated in regional and international networks.

The Namibian media provide an important source of information on urban development processes in the country, highlighting current events, opportunities and challenges. The media further provide insight into the different views and perceptions of a variety of actors, be it from government, non- government, private sector, and individuals that reside in Namibia’s towns and settlements.

It is therefore hoped that DWN’s Media Monitoring service will provide insights into those different views, with potential use for a variety of institutions and decision-makers that work in the urban environment in Namibia.

The Media Monitoring service is currently provided on a monthly basis and monitors the following newspapers: The Namibian, Republikein, Namibian Sun, New Era, Windhoek Observer, Confidente, and Informante. Compiled by: The articles are grouped into following categories: Esleen Guriras & Alina Nambuli 1. Urban Planning, Land & Housing Edited by: Beat Weber 2. Urban Infrastructure and Services Produced by: 3. Livelihoods and Urban Economy Development Workshop Namibia 4. Environment & Human Health Address: The text of the news articles has not been altered and thus 18 Nachtigal Street PO Box 40723, Ausspannplatz reflects the opinion of the respective media outlets, and not Windhoek, Namibia that of DWN. We hope you find this service useful and 081 627 92 53 interesting. DWN is keen to improve the service and [email protected] welcomes suggestions and comments.

Yours sincerely,

With support from: Development Workshop Namibia Namibian Chamber of Environment

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Index

1 URBAN PLANNING, LAND AND HOUSING ...... 4 1.1 Grootfontein residents threaten to close down municipality ...... 4 1.2 House prices will remain depressed…shift to lower and middle price ...... 4 1.3 ‘Contractors are greedy’ ...... 5 1.4 First Lady disapproves high housing prices ...... 6 1.5 House prices slow down as demand shifts...... 6 1.6 Drive to formalise informal settlements ...... 7 1.7 Tsandi community receives houses ...... 7 1.8 Flat owners fed up with body corporates ...... 8 1.9 Keetmanshoop in cash crunch again ...... 8 1.10 Katima settlement gets 180 houses ...... 9 1.11 Property prices falling amid volatility ...... 9 1.12 ‘FNB shares HPP housing vision’ ...... 10 1.13 Rent bill to be tabled in April ...... 11 1.14 Re-thinking Our Urban Future ...... 11 1.15 Renting a shack in DRC ...... 12 1.16 CEO, councillors split Grootfontein residents ...... 13 1.17 No more mud houses in Katima, says mayor ...... 14 1.18 'Uninhabitable' mass houses demolished ...... 15 1.19 Swakop demolishes 90 mass houses due to poor workmanship ...... 15 1.20 No quality controls done on demolished Swakop houses ...... 16 1.21 Poverty, landlessness dampen independence celebrations ...... 16 1.22 Grotes soek grond by Okakarara: Verkooptransaksie deur private verdrag ...... 17 1.23 New twist in Keetmans land saga ...... 18 1.24 Rade se boeke 'n gemors: Onvoldoende dokumente ingedien ...... 19 1.25 Dorpsraad ontken nepotisme: kernfunksies word verander ...... 20 1.26 City Police dismantle illegal 7de Laan shacks ...... 21 1.27 N$419k required for a house ...... 22 1.28 Shack demolitions 'inhumane' ...... 22 1.29 City ordered to stop removing 7de Laan shacks ...... 23 1.30 Mass Housing under water ...... 24

2 URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES ...... 26 2.1 Water scarcity not ended by rise in dam levels ...... 26 2.2 Windhoek residents urged to register solar installations ...... 26 2.3 Firefighting tanks for three settlements ...... 27 2.4 Water crisis persists ...... 27 2.5 Keetmans to address Ileni challenges ...... 28 2.6 Hospital dumps medical waste at public site ...... 28 2.7 Walvis residents irked by system failure ...... 29 2.8 Roads swept away by heavy rains ...... 30 2.9 Catchment pond poses risk to residents ...... 30 2.10 Govt called to act on sanitation ...... 31 2.11 Govt neglects providing sanitation ...... 31

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2.12 Unseemly conditions ...... 32 2.13 Fresh water, sanitation far better ...... 32

3 LIVELIHOODS AND URBAN ECONOMY ...... 34 3.1 Maize meal prices decrease ...... 34 3.2 Omusati business expo launched ...... 34 3.3 Lovingly Crafted ...... 35 3.4 Proud Business Woman ...... 35

4 ENVIRONMENT & HUMAN HEALTH ...... 36 4.1 Omusati and Ohangwena schools under water threat ...... 36 4.2 Oshakati stunned by floods ...... 36 4.3 Oshakati flooded ...... 37 4.4 Floods shut down 64 Omusati schools...... 37 4.5 Govt warns of more floods...... 38 4.6 Destroyed Home...... 38 4.7 Ohangwena under water ...... 38 4.8 Rundu weighed down by waste ...... 39

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1 Urban Planning, Land and Housing

1.1 Grootfontein residents threaten to close down municipality The Namibian|01/03/2017 About 200 Grootfontein want the council to step down or they will force it to close within 20 days. The residents, who demonstrated on Monday, were led by land activists Caroline Engelbrecht and Moritz Gaingob of the Landless People's Movement. The community claims that land the council sold land valued at N$30 million to Tulenga Trading Company and the money was never given to the in the municipality.They also say that N$10 million given by the rural development ministry to demolish to build houses at the Single Quarters vanished. The community wants the municipality to be investigated and land given to 2 200 residents within seven days. Grootfontein communications officer Luke Salomo said he was not aware of the N$30 million for land sold to Tulenga Trading Company and that the municipality's books are audited every year. “As for the N$10 million, yes, the money was given under the Build Together Programme. We were advised by the ministry to use it to service the land – which is what we did,” he stated. Salomo added that the municipality will hold a meeting today to discuss the contents of the petition in detail. In another petition handed to police on the same day, the group demanded the removal of the station commander, Esther Mainga because she allegedly ordered the use of tear gas on the crowd that attempted to grab land. The petitioners further claimed that the tear gas has badly affected elders, school children, sick people, toddlers and the community at large. Mainga told The Namibian yesterday that she does not regret the police actions that day. “Perhaps our people do not know the meaning of police brutality. I am a well-trained police officer, and I was only following the orders of my supervisor to disperse the crowd,” she said. Otjozondjupa police regional commander Armas Shivute said he received the petition, but that they will not accept the community's demand to have Mainga removed.

1.2 House prices will remain depressed…shift to lower and middle price The New Era|01/03/2017 “The FNB Value Index recorded its lowest level since Q2 in 2013 after quarterly growth tapered down to 2 percent during Q4 of 2016,” says Market Research Manager at FNB Namibia Daniel Kavishe. In the latest FNB Housing Index for the fourth quarter of 2016, Kavishe noted that while the coastal region continued to still show strong property price growth, central Namibia prices had eased for detached property. This came as the increased supply of sectional titles met a weakened demand environment, according to the latest estate agent survey. Accordingly, properties remained unsold for an average of 19 weeks. “The housing market continues to show signs of correction as the latest overall growth rate aligned more with headline inflation rather than its usual trends. “Looking forward, house prices are expected to remain depressed as the economy gradually recovers from fiscal consolidation, rising interest rates, high inflation and rising unemployment. “Therefore, property price inflation is expected to remain below 10 percent for the most part of the year across the country,” Kavishe said. With poor levels of affordability coupled with a brittle economic environment, FNB anticipated growth would go down 4 to 5 percent at the end of 2017. The latest discussion regarding capping rental property prices could further pose downside risks to growth, as demand for new property would decline. “If the legislation makes it unattractive for homeowners to rent out their property, the market would invariably restructure with property purchasing prices trending downwards,” he noted. Historically, the index tended to retreat during the fourth quarter, as prices normalised for that given year and as volumes declined. “However, the sharp downturn in the index seems to further be reflected by a slower growth rates (6 percent year-on-year) in the median price across major towns. “The overall median price recorded was N$850,000, still relatively high considering the gross earnings of the individual would have to be over N$25,000 per month to

4 afford this type of bond, whilst the average monthly income in Namibia is estimated at around N$6,600 per month, based on the latest labor force survey (LFS, 2014). “The Volume Index, which continued to remain volatile, treads in negative territory thus coming in at -19 percent during the same period.” When looking at the central region, the median prices in the large house segment stood at N$3.5 million. In the medium segment, houses sold at median price of N$1.65 million, 6 percent higher than the same period last year. The small house segment saw prices adjusting by 25 percent to N$845,000, further proof that market activity was concentrated in this segment. The central house price index however, had already dipped into negative territory (-2.94 percent) for the quarter suggesting that relative to the prior year’s growth, prices had started to weaken. Prices at the coast continued to enjoy robust price growth after prices soared 19.16 percent quarter-on- quarter. However, volumes remained weak contracting by 36 percent in the final quarter. A glimpse at northern Namibia revealed that volume growth across most northern towns contracted -4 percent q-o-q, while price growth in the area remained flat. Price deflation in certain towns was balanced by price growth in others. The main towns of price growth remained Katima Mulilo, Omuthiya, Oshakati and Eenhana. More specifically, property prices in Katima soared 84 percent to N$997,000 during 2016, to bring the five-year increase to a whopping 253 percent. Despite the thin volumes, property prices in the south of the country declined during the fourth quarter and for 2016 as a whole. On an annualised basis, prices in Mariental and Keetmanshoop contracted by 19 percent and 8 percent respectively, while Lüderitz was the outlier after its prices soared 22 percent off a low base.

1.3 ‘Contractors are greedy’ The Namibian Sun|01/03/2017 First Lady Monica Geingos has urged the private sector not to always focus on making profit when it comes to addressing the housing needs of the people. While advising local authorities to make more land available land to the people, Geingos said contractors build houses with a greater focus on their profits, rather than putting in an effort to assist government in addressing the housing backlog the country is faced with. Geingos made the remarks on Monday at Tsandi in Omusati Region at the official handover of 53 homes under the Shack Dwellers’ Federation of Namibia and the Namibia Housing Action Group low-cost housing schemes. She said that in communities where the majority of people are low-income earners the cost of housing should be affordable for the intended beneficiaries, adding that this is currently not the case. “The private sector should stop being greedy. You can construct high-income houses in residential areas where the rich people are. Let us try not to focus on profits.” Geingos said. Geingos said there is a difference between low-income housing and low-cost housing saying that people need cheaper homes which people from that area are able to afford. “We need to look at each region and see what the people’s needs are,” she said. Regarding the issue where houses have been constructed under the low-income banner in various towns but which are not occupied yet, she said it’s a painful situation where people in a country need houses but yet there houses that are empty because they can’t afford them. Geingos further said the problem is not solely financing saying that people have money and home loan approvals from financial institutions as well as savings of up to N$600 000 but still they cannot find houses because the prices are very expensive and escalate as time goes. Making reference to her personal experience, Geingos said that for a period of nine months she was looking for a house for someone in Windhoek but failed to find one that cost less than N$900 000 – and this not even in Katutura, saying that it’s not acceptable. She also talked on the issue that Namibians should not be held hostage by their own country’s laws when it comes to constructing houses, making reference to the fact that people are expected to build houses three times the value of the plot they have acquired. Geingos said exceptions should be made, especially for the low-income earners saying that people should be allowed to build houses they can afford. “It’s like saying that everyone should all buy a Mercedes Benz in order to use the roads…. Let us make a difference, let them built what they can,” she said.“Let us not be held hostage by our own laws. Let us understand why the rule is there and see if it’s still relevant today,” she added. She praised the members of the Shack Dwellers’ Federation and

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Namibia Housing Action Group for their efforts and for taking the bold step of saving money and constructing their own houses. She also thanked the stakeholders who partnered with the two schemes saying that their contributions have not gone unnoticed.

1.4 First Lady disapproves high housing prices The Namibian|02/03/2017 First Lady Monica Geingos has called on local authorities to change the rules and regulations and make land affordable to the people in need of decent shelter. Geingos made the call on Monday at Tsandi village in the Omusati region, when officially handing over 53 houses built by saving groups under the auspices of the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN). Geingos is the patron of the federation. She suggested that civil servants must contribute N$2 every month towards the initiative that is aimed at providing decent housing for the needy citizens. The SDFN patron expressed satisfaction with the provision of houses at a cost ranging from N$35 000 per unit to low-income earners at Tsandi under the SDFN. She also appealed to the private sector to stop focusing on making profit and start providing loans for housing provision initiatives, such as the SDFN. “Lend us money to do what we want, we will pay back your money,” Geingos said, adding government does not have enough money to give everyone a plot. The First Lady then expressed dissatisfaction that the prices of houses in Windhoek had shot past the N$900 000 price tag yet the majority of the residents in need of decent houses in the capital city are low-income earners who cannot afford this. Geingos also inaugurated 20 SDFN houses in the Omusati region's Okahao town. Private entities Ohorongo Cement, First National Bank (FNB) Foundation, Pupkewitz Foundation and Neo Paints declared their interests at the event to collaborate with the SDFN in housing provision. Neo Paints joined the initiative by committing products and training to the value of N$350 000 over a two-year period. Ohorongo Cement managing director Hans-Wilhelm Schütte said it is commendable for Neo Paints to join the initiative as they have added value to the partnership. A statement from the FNB business manager for northern Namibia, Thomas Iindji, said the bank, through its foundation, is proud to support the initiative. “Affordable housing is one such challenge that is why we are proud to be part of this initiative and applaud the work done so far to build these houses,” read the statement.

1.5 House prices slow down as demand shifts The Namibian|02/03/2017 The FNB Value Index recorded its lowest level since 2013 after quarterly growth tapered down to 2% during the last quarter of 2016, Daniel Kavishe, market research manager at FNB Namibia said yesterday. Historically, the index tends to retreat during the fourth quarter. “However, the sharp downturn in the index seems to be further reflected by a slower growth rate (6% year on year) in the median price across major towns. The overall median price recorded was N$850 000, still relatively high considering the gross earnings of the individual would have to be over N$25 000 per month to afford this type of bond. In the central region, median prices in the large segment recorded N$3, 5 million. In the medium segment, house prices were at N$1, 65 million, 6% higher than the same period last year. The small segment saw prices adjusting by 25% to N$845 000 – further proof that market activity is concentrated in this segment. In the north of the country, volume growth across most northern towns contracted 4% on a quarterly basis, while price growth in the area remained flat. Price deflation in certain towns was balanced by price growth in others. The main towns of price growth are Katima Mulilo, Omuthiya, Oshakati and Eenhana. More specifically, property prices in Katima soared 84% to N$997 000 during 2016, to bring the five-year increase to a whopping 253%. “Despite the thin volumes, property prices in the south declined during the fourth quarter of 2016. On an annualised basis, prices at Mariental and Keetmanshoop contracted by 19% and 8% respectively, while Lüderitz was the outlier after its prices soared 22% off a low base,” Kavishe said. Kavishe concluded that while the coastal region continues to show strong property price growth, central Namibian prices have eased for detached property as increased supply of sectional titles

6 meets a weakened demand environment, according to the latest estate agent survey. Accordingly, properties remain unsold for an average of 19 weeks. Going forward, house prices are expected to remain depressed as the economy gradually recovers from fiscal consolidation, rising interest rates, high inflation and rising unemployment. He said property price inflation is expected to remain below the 10% for most of the year across the country. “With poor levels of affordability coupled with a brittle economic environment, we anticipate growth to be down to 4% to 5% at the end of 2017,” he said.

1.6 Drive to formalise informal settlements The Namibian Sun|02/03/2017 Windhoek city councillor Joseph Kauandenge (Nudo) called for the formalisation of informal settlements at a council meeting this week. Mentioning Agste Laan in his motion, Kauandenge asked: “how long will these people have to be made to wait before they can own the land? We must move to make sure they get the option to buy these erven.” His request was supported by mayor Muesee Kazapua, who said the formalisation process was high on the council agenda.“I think all of us agree that the formalisation process is important,” he said. “It is critically important to initiate projects that will impact the social well-being of our citizens. A target has been set to formalise informal settlements. Affordable housing is [also] one of our priorities. These are some of the initiatives that need our serious intervention.” Windhoek has six informal settlements, namely Agste Laan, Sewende Laan, Oshitenda, Havana, Okahandja Park and Babylon. A World Bank report states that the informal settlements sprang up when the City Council established a reception area in 1991 to deal with an influx of rural people. Kazapua also reported on the status of the council's strategic plan, which he said was almost complete. The strategic plan is expected to run from this year until 2022.

1.7 Tsandi community receives houses The Namibian Sun|02/03/2017 Twelve houses built by the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia have been handed over to people at Tsandi village in the Omusati Region. The houses were built in collaboration with Ohorongo Cement, the FNB Namibia Foundation and the Pupkewitz Foundation in support of poverty eradication and the provision of community-driven housing for low-income families. The houses formed part of the 53 houses that were officially handed over to the Shack Dwellers Federation homeowners in Tsandi by First Lady Monica Geingos. The handover came eleven months after the launch of the public-private-partnership initiative on 4 March last year. The three private companies joined hands to enable the federation to build 91 houses in one year, by pledging a total amount of N$3 million. This partnership was further strengthened when Neo Paints joined the initiative by committing products and training to the value of N$350 000 over two years. “We believe in Namibia and the vision of our leaders to create a society where everyone is afforded a respectable standard of living. The vision of NEO Paints is that we are not only in the business of physically protecting assets, but also improving the quality of life through creating value for our customers, while bringing joy through colour in their lives,” said Victor Boshoff, NEO Paints managing director. At Otavi 70% of the planned houses have been completed. At Omaruru, brickmaking for 26 houses was put on hold because of a water shortage. At Tsumeb land clearing and planning are taking place for 33 houses while brickmaking is in progress. “We believe that through efficient partnerships, and by combining our resources, the contribution made has a lot more value than trying to do everything on our own. In this case Ohorongo Cement, Pupkewitz Foundation, FNB Foundation and the Shack Dwellers Foundation of Namibia form a solid foundation of partners to make a true difference through effective execution,” said Hans-Wilhelm Schütte, managing director of Ohorongo Cement.Meryl Barry, CEO of the Pupkewitz Foundation, said the foundation’s strategy was to form partnerships with government and reputable non-profit organisations whose development goals are aimed at viable, innovative and sustainable solutions in response to national and global priorities. “At FNB

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Namibia we believe in effective partnerships for a sustainable future. We aim to not only partner with other corporates and NGOs, but with the government as well, to solve our nation’s pressing challenges. Affordable housing is one such challenge – and that is why we are proud to be part of this initiative and applaud the work done so far to build these houses”, said Koneka Iindji, area business manager at FNB Namibia.The Shack Dwellers’ Federation creates an opportunity for Namibians to improve their standard of living. By taking personal responsibility, members are given the opportunity to build a personal asset, which not only improves their standard of living, but also creates personal wealth.

1.8 Flat owners fed up with body corporates The Namibian|02/03/2017 Given the astronomical prices which have made stand-alone housing units unaffordable, many people have opted for purchasing flats which are the more readily available or less expensive alternative. Windhoek has seen a boom in the construction of flats in recent years, and those who purchase them have a different story to tell. Their biggest nightmare is body corporates who, they say, are collecting money but doing little or nothing in return. A body corporate is a legal entity created when land is subdivided and registered to establish a unit titles scheme. Every owner of a flat or lot held under a unit title automatically belongs to this entity. The purpose of a body corporate is to enable the owners of the units to be jointly responsible for the insurance cover for, and maintenance of, the common areas like the buildings and grounds. The body corporate also sets the rules about things like how common areas can be used and how much the annual fees are. Every person who becomes an owner of a flat unit in that scheme becomes a member of that body corporate, as provided for in the Sectional Titles Act of 2009. In general, body corporates control, manage and administer the common property “for the benefit of all owners”. But Sarty Gaoses, a resident of a block of flats in Dorado Park is one of the owners who have complained to The Namibian that ever since she bought the flat in 2009, the intercoms among other things, have not been working, although they pay for them. She also claims the garbage that has been allowed to accumulate around the complex is a health hazard, especially for children. Some complexes visited by The Namibian have exposed water pipes and electrical cables which some children unwittingly play with oblivious of the danger. The Namibian understands that somebody corporates in areas like Khomasdal charge as much as N$1003 in fees for a three bedroom flat. Some flat owners at one complex claimed the only significant purpose the body corporate served is taking out the trash wheelie bins once a week, and fixing the gates when they are broken (which sometimes takes them long). At another complex, the owners complained that if they had any water pipe problems or any plumbing issue, the body corporate tells them to call a plumber and pay for the service themselves. Some flats visited by The Namibian, which were only built in 2007, are looking dilapidated and untidy, compared to houses that were built more than 10 years earlier. “If we miss one payment, these body corporates disconnect our services until we pay,” said Elly Itula, a resident of flats in Windhoek's Hochland Park. Three body corporates contacted by The Namibian refused to comment.

1.9 Keetmanshoop in cash crunch again The Namibian|03/03/2017 Keetmanshoop CEO Desmond Basson yesterday confirmed that the town is experiencing cash-flow problems, which he blames on residents not paying their municipal accounts. “It should not be news; the whole country faces a cash crunch. If government experiences cash-flow problems, it obviously cascades down to second-tier governments,” Basson said at a media conference yesterday to announce resolutions taken by the town council at its 28 February meeting. He was reacting to a question from The Namibian about claims that the town was battling to pay workers at month-ends because of cash-flow problems. Basson had previously said, towards the end of last year, that the council could not embark on new socio-economic development projects, and struggled to pay its

8 monthly water bills within the 30-day period because of its financial problems. However, yesterday he assured residents that the council was working to resolve the cash-flow problem by improving revenue collection, adding that plans were afoot to appoint a debt collector to recover outstanding debts. Meanwhile, as an interim measure, council has started to disconnect the water of defaulting residents. Basson tried to quell residents' fears of the town's water supply being cut off due to unpaid debts, stating that council had reached an agreement with NamWater to avert disconnections. He revealed that council owed NamWater N$4 million in unpaid bills, and that an agreement was reached for Keetmanshoop to pay N$600 000 on top of the monthly water bill, estimated at N$2, 2 million. Basson also announced that the council had resolved to sell land of 3 988 square metres for N$717 840• to the Electoral Commission of Namibia, and a stand of 2 519 square metres to J Swiegers for N$302 280. The council also resolved to enter into a five-year land lease agreement with Entrepreneur Youth Pride Trading CC. This company intends to develop a community social hub on the land. The council furthermore revoked a previous meeting's resolution to offer Shamrock Holdings land for the construction of a recreational facility. Basson said the company would now buy the land for N$823 770 for the construction of low-cost houses. In addition, council also approved the sale of land for N$81 675 to the company for the construction of a show house. Council had approved land deals to the value of N$4, 3 million in its last meeting. It was also resolved to erect street lights at strategic points in the Ileni informal settlement, following residents' outcry for proper lighting, while general hygiene and sanitation issues in and around the location would be investigated. Meanwhile, Basson revealed that regional electricity distributor Selco would continue managing the town's power supply until June this year, following the expiry of the 15-year power supply deal on 31 October 2016.

1.10 Katima settlement gets 180 houses The Namibian Sun|03/03/2017 The Katima Mulilo Town Council has entered into a public-private partnership to build 187 houses in the new Cowboy Extension 21 settlement this financial year. The site was handed over to the developer, Shiku Investment, in December last year, said town council spokesperson Pasval Elijah. Elijah told Nampa that the land was semi-serviced, with roads and water already available. “Currently, the council is busy with the electrification of the extension and sewer pipes were installed before the construction of the houses commences,” she said. Elijah said the development is aimed at middle-income earners, and house prices will range from N$630 000 to N$790 000. The contractor will be responsible for selecting those who qualify. She said the land was given to the contractor for free, with the condition that the council would receive 30% of whatever profit the company made. At the moment the council is completing the tarring of the main road in the Cowboy Extension to the tune of N$5.4 million. Elijah said the council had many plans for the year, such as building more malls to reduce congestion in some areas, and installing storm-water drainage systems for roads. She added that it was difficult to implement all the planned projects because the council budget was cut by N$5 million this financial year.

1.11 Property prices falling amid volatility Informante|03/03/2017 The coastal region shows strong property price growth, while central Namibia prices have eased for detached property due to a weakened demand environment. Daniel Kavishe, Market Research Manager at FNB Namibia said that properties remain unsold for an average of 19 weeks. “The housing market continues to show signs of correction as the latest overall growth rate aligned more with headline inflation other than its usual trends. Looking forward, house prices are expected to remain depressed as the economy gradually recovers from fiscal consolidation, rising interest rates, high inflation and rising unemployment.” he explained. The central house price index has dipped into negative territory (-2, 94%) for the quarter, suggesting that relative to the prior year growth, prices

9 have started to weaken. Compared to this, property prices at the coast continued to enjoy robust price growth after prices soared 19, 16% quarter on quarter (q-o-q). Volume growth (the growth in physical volume of sales) remained weak contracting by 36% in the final quarter. Similar to the central region, a glimpse at Northern Namibia reveals that volume growth across most northern towns contracted -4% q-o-q. The FNB Value Index recorded its lowest level since the 2nd quarter of 2013 after quarterly growth tapered down to 2% during the 4th quarter of 2016. Kavishe said that the Index tends to retreat during the fourth quarter, as the prices would normalise for that given year and as volumes decline. “However, the sharp downturn in the Index seems to further be reflected by a slower growth rate at 6% year over year (y-o-y) in the median price across major towns. The overall median price recorded was N$850 000, still relatively high considering the gross earnings of the individual would have to be over N$25 000 per month to afford this type of bond, whilst the average monthly income in Namibia is estimated to be N$6 600K per month, based on the latest labour force survey (LFS, 2014),” Kavishe said. Kavishe detailed that the main towns of price growth remain in Katima Mulilo, Omuthiya, Ohakati and Eenhana. More specifically, property prices in Katima soared 84% to N$997 000 during 2016, to bring the five year increase to a whopping 253%. Despite the thin volumes, property prices in the South declined during the fourth quarter and for 2016. On an annualised basis, prices in Mariental and Keetmanshoop contracted by 19% and 8% respectively, while Luderitz was the outlier after its prices soared 22% off a low base.

1.12 ‘FNB shares HPP housing vision’ Confidente|03/03/2017 Area business manager of FNB Namibia far north, Tomas Iindji has reiterated the bank’s commitment in supporting the pillars of the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP). Addressing delegates at the handover of low cost houses to beneficiaries in Tsandi – 12 houses in total – where First Lady Monica Geingos was in attendance, Iindji explained that the bank had committed itself to focusing on the development and protection of the economy, society and en­vironment in which it operates. “The Harambee Prosperity Plan, Namibia’s development map aimed at leading the country towards prosperity, calls for the construction of 20 000 new houses nation•wide. While at its core the plan translates into a country where no one dies of hunger, where citizens have access to decent shelter and to basic amenities, such as safe drinking water, quality education, basic health services and a sustainable income to afford the necessities of life. “As a responsible business, FNB Namibia shares this vision – evident in our 4P strategy based on four key components namely; People, Partnerships, Sustainable Profit and Planet. We have committed ourselves to focusing on the development and protection of the economy, society and environment in which we operate. We have various channels we achieve this through, which are our own internal practices and policies, the FNB Foundation and the staff volun­teer programme. “One of the most important roles our business will play is aligning with government developmental plans in achieving Vision 2030, either through partnerships such as these, or support of specific developmental projects. At FNB Namibia we believe in effective partnerships for a sustainable future. We aim to not only partner with other corporates and NGOs but with the Government as well to solve our nations pressing challenges. Affordable housing is one such challenge – and that is why we are proud to be part of this initiative, and applaud the work done so far to build these houses,” he explained. Constructed by the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia the feat was possible in collaboration with Ohorongo Cement, the Pupkewitz Foundation and NEO Paints. “On behalf of the FNB Namibia Foundation Trust, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia for identifying the dire need in our community and for working towards making a change. “While the measure of success has been varied during these trying economic times, the exceptional and defining feature of our country has to be the fact that, regardless of the challenges, our willingness to strive for continuous improvement in the life prospects of our people remains unshakeable. “This March we will celebrate 27 years of independence in Namibia, and if we can see more of such initia•tives prompted by public-private

10 partnership and community involvement, we will surely enjoy lasting peace and economic stability, and put the final nail in the coffin of poverty,” Iindji concluded.

1.13 Rent bill to be tabled in April The Namibian|07/03/2017 The draft rent control bill will be done by 20 March and ready for tabling in April, trade minister Immanuel Ngatjizeko announced on Friday. Ngatjizeko said in an advert in the media that the draft bill will be available for consultation and public inputs as from the 20th of this month. Last month, information minister Tjekero Tweya announced that the draft bill was undergoing constitutional scrutiny by the attorney general's office, after which it would be sent to various stakeholders for inputs and comments. The development of a rent bill follows Cabinet Resolution 61 of February 2015, which instructed government to introduce measures to regulate the residential rental market with a view to preventing the perceived exploitation of many tenants by landlords. Welcoming the development, the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement said in a press statement yesterday that the movement would continue to ensure that government kept to its commitments. AR has been highly outspoken about government's perceived lack of urgency in setting up the rent control board. “Our hope is that government will keep to their word and the draft bill will be ready by 20 March, as they have promised,” AR leader George Kambala told The Namibian yesterday. AR claimed that after their July 2015 visit to State House and the submission of names to serve on rent boards, they gave government a deadline of 19 February this year to state whether Rent Ordinance No. 13 of 1977 would be implemented to bring about rent control. Government stated in the advert that while it was aware of the existence of the Rent Ordinance of 1977, it was the state's opinion that the ordinance was unimplementable in its current form. Although Tweya yesterday referred all queries to the trade ministry, he was quoted earlier as saying that once the bill was passed, board members would be appointed under the provisions of the new law, and the public would be informed of the establishment of rent boards.

1.14 Re-thinking Our Urban Future Windhoek Observer|03/03/2017 This past week, I attended a two-day workshop of the Urban Forum, which is an annual event organised by the Namibia University of Science & Technology (NUST). The theme was “Namibia’s Urban Future 2017: Re-Thinking Housing and Urbanization.” Globally, the rural-urban migration is reaching alarming proportions, thereby causing urbanization to become almost unstoppable and irreversible. In Namibia, 52% of our population now lives in urban areas; thus more Namibians now live in the towns and cities compared to those living in the rural areas. This high rate of urbanization obviously comes with its own unique challenges and opportunities. Unfortunately, the provision of basic municipal services and housing has not kept pace with the rate of influx into the cities. The people have thus come up with their own housing improvisations to provide a roof over their heads. Last year, I wrote a piece about the “New Urban Agenda” that was adopted at the UN Habitat III conference in Quito, Ecuador. These Habitat conferences started way back in 1976, and are held every twenty years. If one compares the core global urbanization issues raised in 1976 to those raised in 2016, forty years later, then it becomes clear that nothing has changed fundamentally; instead, we have more of the same. At the Urban Forum 2017, the issues discussed were: informal urbanization and people’s processes; urban design, public space and governance; social housing and alternative finance; urban livelihoods, informal economy and labour; urban land reform, tenure options and land administration; community-based urban strategies and social innovation; design, construction and sustainable spatial processes; and the right to adequate housing. Speakers came from several countries, namely the United Kingdom (1), India (1), Ghana (1), South Africa (5) and Namibia (1). The UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Ms. Leilani Farha, sent a video message in which she clarified what is meant by adequate housing. In fact, Habitat III defines

11 adequate housing in terms of six key principles: (i) security of tenure, (ii) availability of municipal services, (iii) affordability, (iv) habitability, (v) accessibility, (vi) appropriate location and (vii) cultural adequacy. It is instructive to note that the right to adequate housing is enshrined by Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966). It is thus clear that our informal settlements and townships cannot be regarded as adequate housing. They fall short of the adequate housing principles, especially with regard to affordability, accessibility, appropriate location and cultural adequacy. These townships were created during colonial times to be workers’ dormitories serving the white neighbourhoods with cheap labour. They were located far away from “town”, and there was definitely no intention to promote cultural adequacy. Unfortunately, we have not turned this around since independence. Another issue that sparked heavy debate is informality; it seems that informal settlements, informal housing, informal jobs, etc. have now been accepted as the new normal. There are reams of academic research papers about how to “live with informality”, as if there is no alternative to this urban menace. The concept of “progressive rights” is used to argue that informality is the first stage in the realisation of the right to ultimately provide adequate housing. Unfortunately, we get bogged down at the first hurdle, and informal settlements remain as is and actually get worse! We then turn our attention to philanthropic and paternalistic activities of how to help “these poor people”! Interestingly, one of the participants made a radical proposal to do away with informal settlements by formalising the plots and to give title deeds to those who are currently occupying those plots – free of charge! The current huge costs of managing these informal settlements can instead be used to empower the people to implement their own housing starter solutions. I think that this is an idea that should be explored further. The consensus at the Urban Forum was that we must all be open- minded to explore various options of solving our urban crisis. We must re-imagine, re-think and re- invent urban solutions. We can learn from case studies across the globe, but in the final analysis, we must come up with home-grown solutions. The urban solutions in developed countries have evolved over centuries, and the urban space has become home to many people who have never known a rural alternative. By contrast, many Namibians are relatively newcomers to the urban space, because most of us come from rural homes and still associate psychologically more with the rural areas than with the towns and cities. Thus, subconsciously, we want urban solutions with wide open spaces to reflect what we are used to in the rural areas. Furthermore, most of us expect housing structures that are perceived to be superior to those in rural areas, otherwise that will not be regarded as progress, will it? That’s why most of us will demand brick-and-mortar houses in towns; please Sir! Eewa. As time goes on, many of us who form the old guard will hopefully warm up to new urban solutions, such as the concept of the so-called compact city which is highly densified. It will take time for some of us to get used to the idea of having another family living above us on the next floor, and to live so close to each other that you can literally hear your neighbours when they are arguing or making love! We are still very claustrophobic! But our children, and their children, will have progressively less colonial baggage and will hopefully come up with solutions which may currently be unpalatable to my generation. Let us thus continue to dream and re-imagine our urban futures freely. This tendency of blaming individuals and institutions for our collective housing misery has now been shown to have no basis in reality.

1.15 Renting a shack in DRC The New Era|07/03/2017 Swakopmund resident Martin Kakuwe has been living in a shack over the past five years in the Democratic Resettlement Community (DRC). Kakuwe, 37, came from the Zambezi Region to Swakopmund in 2012 to find decent work to sustain his children, but he could only find employment as a security guard. Kakuwe dreamed of making enough money to buy himself a house – however he got a rude wake-up call upon arrival at the coast when he experienced how expensive the cost of living is. Soon Kakuwe found himself living in a shack on the outskirts of town among thousands of others, despite facing continual shack fires, lack of water, sanitation and other basic necessities such

12 as shops and schools. Ironically he ended up renting someone else’s shack for N$150 a month for the past five years, totalling N$9 000 for the five years, money that he could have saved and used as a down payment if he is fortunate enough to be allocated a plot after formalisation of the DRC. His situation is indicative of the situation of tens of thousands of other homeless and landless people who out of desperation and blind faith to obtain a decent home in the overcrowded boundaries of Swakopmund are forced to find refuge in DRC and yet still pay for it despite lack of services. The owners who are renting out these shacks are in many cases already home owners and are driven by greed to rope in as many plots as possible. The irony however is that Kakuwe and others renting shacks in DRC stand a very slim chance of ever getting a plot of their own in the settlement that will soon be formalised. Those who seek refuge in DRC are so desperate that the constant shack fires, long distances to fetch water at communal water points, and lack of water and sanitation do not discourage them in their quest for decent shelter. He is aware he will not secure a place of his own at the end of the day and might even be forced to move or make way for the rightful owner of the plot. “I have been looking for a place to build my own shack for years now, but to no avail, which resulted in me renting this shack from a lady that lives in Mondesa with her family. I am really worried that the Swakopmund Municipality will not even consider us that are renting here in DRC for possible plots or affordable houses, but I am hoping that I will eventually get a piece of land or a house,” he explained. Another DRC resident, 44-year-old Andreas Shikongo, told New Era he is also staying in someone else’s shack – for the past eight years. “A family member brought me from the north to come look after their property here in DRC. She buys everything I need and gives me N$300 every second month for looking after it,” he explained. According to Shikongo the family member who has a stable job is currently renting elsewhere because she does not want to live in discomfort. “She says she will move back once DRC gets water and electricity,” he said. Marketing and communications officer of the Swakopmund Municipality, Ailie Gebhardt, said the municipality is aware of such practices in DRC and has been urging residents to refrain from them. “Renting out plots in DRC is not permitted at all. There are currently no services in DRC and those who are living in DRC are not being charged by council, whether they are residing legally or illegally on plots in DRC. Whoever is renting out property in DRC should be reported so that they can be dealt with.”

1.16 CEO, councillors split Grootfontein residents The New Era|07/03/2017 Tension is mounting in Grootfontein following the recent attempted land grab at Luiperdheuwel location, which sparked friction in the community with some calling for the resignation of Grootfontein chief executive officer Charles Kariko and several councillors. A week ago a group of landless people petitioned Minister of Urban and Rural Development Sophia Shangina, seeking her immediate intervention to launch an investigation into the affairs of the municipality. The group gave the minister until today to respond and had threatened to shut down the municipality after 20 days if nothing tangible is done to address their concerns. In their petition the group demanded the immediate removal of Kariko from his post, as well as some councillors whom they accuse of fraud, corruption, mismanagement and engaging in illegal land sales. They alleged the council sold land worth N$30 million to Tulenga Trading Company, but that the funds never reached council coffers and remain unaccounted for. They also wanted to know what happened to the N$10 million the council received several years ago to demolish the single quarters and replace them with new houses. However, in a bizarre turn of events another group staged a demonstration yesterday to express support for and solidarity with the embattled CEO and town councillors. Municipal spokesperson Luke Salomo confirmed that a group of 100 demonstrators sympathetic to the CEO and the councillors handed over a petition in which they expressed their support for Kariko and the town councillors. He added that the petition noted only positive things, contrary to what the other group had presented. A representative of the group of landless people who staged the protest against Kariko, Caroline Engelbrecht, said those sympathetic to the CEO and the councillors are trying to undermine the whole process and that some councillors had instigated their relatives to stage a

13 sympathetic protest. “This counter-petition is the idea of the chairperson of the management committee, Jack Tsanigab, his wife Natasha Awases and his cousin, Maggy, so that they can jeopardise our quest to receive clarity from the minister,” said Engelbrecht. “But we’re not going to entertain any answers from the municipality, only that of the minister, because we want every little detail to be unearthed. Tsanigab is one of the councillors that has multiple plots in town and has even invaded the nearby resettlement farm and we want all this to be investigated. Yet now he is the one initiating this demonstration [in support of the councillors and CEO] using other people,” Engelbrecht alleged. In his defence Tsanigab said the majority of residents only want peace in the town and that people should take note the land issue is a national concern and not only a concern of Grootfontein, thus people should follow right procedures. “It was the community’s idea, not mine or my family. Its people that want to avoid tribalism and regionalism, hence they stood up because they want peace, as Grootfontein is a peace-loving town. And indeed my family was in attendance. It cannot be denied. Churches were all present and can these also be regarded as my families? It was only the masses that felt this is not good and requested peace,” Tsanigab opined. He further accused Engelbrecht of harbouring a personal vendetta because she was fired by the municipality and could not get the plots she wanted. “She is just trying to use people for her own benefit,” Tsanigab claimed. Kariko and Engelbrecht have not seen eye to eye ever since 2013 when Kariko was suspended over alleged sexual harassment charges instituted against him by the council, although he was later acquitted, as there was no evidence to prove the claims. It was alleged Kariko had made several sexual advances and remarks towards a female council employee at the beginning of 2013, said to be Engelbrecht. Engelbrecht had joined Grootfontein Municipality in January 2013 as Kariko’s personal assistant.

1.17 No more mud houses in Katima, says mayor The Namibian|08/03/2017 Katima Mulilo mayor Georgina Mwiya-Simataa says flood victims at the town should build permanent structures to protect themselves from heavy rains. Her comments came after some parts of the town received heavy rains on Monday evening which left some people living in the Choto and Cowboy informal settlements homeless. Most of the mud structures at the two settlements also collapsed. “The problem with these mud houses is that the water penetrates them. Even if there is no rain, you will realise that every year, the people renovate them because they are not so pleasant to live in,” she said. “They can take the example of shack dwellers in the Dairy and Makaravan locations, where you hardly hear that there are any problems of flooding because there are permanent structures. So, those who claim that they cannot afford brick houses can at least build shacks,” she added. According to Mwiya-Simataa, the town council has resolved not to allow any further construction of mud houses. The council is also planning to relocate those living in flood- prone areas, but many are resisting. “We are urging our community members to work with the council, and allow us to relocate them to higher ground. The problem with our people is that if it does not rain for two days, they decide not to move from the flood-prone areas,” she said. She noted that as much as the council is willing to provide them with sand to level the ground, this will not work because of flashfloods. “The local communities want the town council to provide them with sand to level the ground, but I tell you that is not the solution because the flashfloods will sweep all the sand away, and you will be left with the same problem again. So, it is better to start investing in permanent structures,” she continued. A resident of Choto, Muleshwa Kasu, told The Namibian that they cannot build a permanent structure because they are also renting there. “We are renting here; we are unable to build a permanent structure. I applied for a plot, but up to now there is no response from them. If the council would give us a plot, we would most definitely build permanent structures. We only live in these undesirable conditions because we have no choice,” Kasu said.

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1.18 'Uninhabitable' mass houses demolished The Namibian|13/03/2017 Urban development minister Sophia Shaningwa has condemned 43 houses built under the mass housing programme at Swakopmund. The prefabricated houses built by the Delta Group, which Shaningwa said were “humanly uninhabitable”, have been demolished. The demolition work started at the beginning of this month. Shaningwa told The Namibian on Friday that officials from the housing directorate inspected the houses north of Swakopmund's DRC informal settlement, and found the completed units to be unfit for human habitation. She stressed that the units were poorly constructed, hence were condemned. “We did not wish to put at risk or sacrifice the lives of the beneficiaries. It was therefore recommended that the houses should be demolished and replaced with proper structures,” she said. Shaningwa added that since Delta could not complete the job, another company had taken over the project, and would build 133 brick houses instead of the prefabricated units. There was still N$30 million available for the project. Although the tender was for the construction of 400 houses, Delta could not complete the task when its finances ran out. Delta Group won a tender to build 400 houses, but the number was later reduced to the 43 that are being demolished. Some of the workers told The Namibian on Friday that they were now working for a Chinese company, while the new contractor, who identified himself just as Charles, said his company will build over 100 houses. “These are of poor quality. We will build over 100 brick houses, starting now,” Charles said, adding that government had given him the contract. That would mean one Core 5 unit would cost about N$226 000. These units would have to be completed within 15 months. Charles, who said his company is called Afrina, told The Namibian that he did not know much about Delta Group. One of the Delta Group's partners, Gawie Rousseau, however, said: “Delta is still going on.” Rousseau referred all questions to the urban development ministry. The company's managing director Koos Gouws,' number is no longer reachable. Delta was in trouble last year when it failed to pay workers and subcontractors claiming that government owed it approximately N$2 million.

1.19 Swakop demolishes 90 mass houses due to poor workmanship The New Era|13/03/2017 About 90 houses built in Swakopmund under the mass housing programme are currently being demolished at the town due to poor workmanship. The houses are situated close to the dumping site on the northeastern side of coastal town. When New Era visited the area this week workers were already demolishing some of the houses. The said houses are part of 400 low-cost units constructed by Delta Group Holdings, who were awarded a N$91 million contract under the mass housing programme. Industry sources on Friday told New Era the houses were poorly constructed and deemed a health and safety risk for those who would have been allocated the houses through the National Housing Enterprise (NHE). “The construction company did not make use of the materials, as agreed, when they signed the contracts. And several inspectors who visited the houses said that they must be demolished, as they do not meet the local authority building requirements at all,” the source said. Contacted for comment the public relations officer of the Swakopmund Municipality, Alie Gebhardt, told New Era the houses are the responsibility of the NHE. She said the poor quality of the houses was detected after a building plan was submitted to the municipality, whose building inspector soon detected that the houses are below standard.“We informed the NHE to deal with the situation,” she said on Friday.Minister of Urban and Rural Development Sophia Shaningwa on Sunday said that fewer than 100 houses built by Delta will be demolished. She said surveyors were sent to inspect the houses and they found that the houses were clearly not suitable and were in fact a health and safety hazard.Subsequently an agreement was reached between the Ministry of Works and the Delta Group to demolish the houses. Delta also agreed to construct 133 better quality houses at the company’s expense to compensate for the demolished houses, the minister confirmed yesterday.

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1.20 No quality controls done on demolished Swakop houses The Namibian|17/03/2017 No monitoring was done on the construction of the poor quality mass houses at Swakopmund with the end result being last week's demolition of the houses. Indications are that quality control management was largely absent during the erecting of the housing structures which were demolished at Swakopmund last week. The saga of the housing structures built under governments troubled and stalled mass housing scheme took a bizarre turn as both the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) and the Swakopmund municipality yesterday absolved themselves of responsibility for having failed to ensure that the structures adhered to accepted quality standards. The NHE's corporate communications and marketing manager, Eric Libongani, yesterday said the NHE's mandate over the mass housing scheme was revoked in 2015, and they could therefore not be held accountable for the poor-quality structures. “The NHE has never erected substandard structures. We have never compromised, and have always delivered,” he told The Namibian. With regards to the demolished houses, he said the NHE had the mandate up to when the foundations were done, and had found the foundations to be up to standard. “As for the top structure, we no longer had a mandate as it was revoked, so we could not check. It is the top structure which is being demolished. The ministry appointed its own people, and the NHE was not involved. The alternative building method used by the contractor was approved by the Swakopmund municipality before the actual construction commenced,” he stated. “They, nor anyone else, cannot now blame the NHE for things gone wrong and hold the NHE accountable for failed structures because we were no longer part of the project.” He said all projects by the NHE are checked for quality. For his part, the Swakopmund municipality's manager for engineering services, Martin Amedick, said from the onset, the municipality had said that it did not have sufficient staff to monitor the construction of a vast number of houses. Amedick said it was agreed with the NHE that it would do the daily quality controls, and then issue a compliance certificate for every house. He added that municipal building inspectors had done spot-checks to ensure adherence to standards and regulations, but argued that this should not be confused with quality control. “Regular inspections will quickly show poor control, supervision, material or workmanship, but since there were multiple agencies involved, it took time to take consequential action. “The first step is to educate and warn the contractor. Several warnings may be given, until building work is stopped if there is no improvement. Stopping a contractor without proper cause and due diligence can become very costly,” Amedick explained. He said the Delta Group, which built the houses, had submitted product and material samples from their factory in South Africa and proper accreditation before commencing work. He added that the company had submitted the plans of their typical house models, and were issued with an approval certificate by his department in order to commence with the project. “The approval was withdrawn due to the lack of proper quality control on their side. The company was also informed that no occupation certificates would be issued,” he noted. With reference to the alternative materials and methods used by the Delta Group, Amedick said: “Unfortunately, there is no institution which can offer accreditation or do spot-checks with respect to consistency in Namibia, nor am I aware of any company producing these panels in our country.” Urban development minister Sophia Shaningwa recently declared more than 40 of the housing structures unfit for habitation, and ordered that they should be demolished. Delta Group Holdings was awarded the N$90 million tender to build 400 houses, but the number was later reduced to 100. Shaningwa told The Namibian last week that about N$30 million of the initial contract amount was still left over, and that the money would be used to build 133 houses to replace those which were demolished.

1.21 Poverty, landlessness dampen independence celebrations Windhoek Observer|17/03/2017 Activists, political leaders and analysts say that the country’s 27th independence celebrations, slated for Rundu next Tuesday, will take place as the burning issues of landlessness and poverty, exacerbated by a predatory elite growing richer and richer, cast long shadows. Former Congress of 16

Democrats (CoD) leader, Ben Ulenga, who is also a former ruling party stalwart, claimed this week that the SWAPO Party leadership has moved away from its “historical objectives”. “It seems the SWAPO leadership decided to revise the historical objectives of the organisation. With regard to land, there has been zero progress, aimed at correcting, at least partially, the land dispossessions of colonialism,” Ulenga said. “The Red Line still exists, with all the negative political-economic implications to those who it was created to disadvantage. Education is severely underfunded, especially in rural areas. “The national economic structures of colonialism are still intact; with permanent residents in the ‘labour reserves’, still leaving their families to seek employment in ‘white’ towns. “Efforts toward nation-building have been minimal, and although people live in the same vicinity, there is no social mixing across language and cultural lines, and hardly any integration. “Equitable sharing of resources, including land and minerals is non-existent. Poverty is rife and income differences unjustified,” Ulenga said. SWAPO Party Secretary for Information, Helmut Angula, however, told the Windhoek Observer that the country has scored successes in developing and providing for its people. “We have really scored great success in our development agenda, compared to the time when the SWAPO Government took over the reins from the apartheid regime. “Today, there is just no comparison. Look at the national budget; it was N$7 billion then, today we are speaking about N$60 billion, and that will be spent to service and develop the country further. “Look at our road network, telecommunication, healthcare and tertiary education facilities. Compare the growth of Walvis Bay, Rundu and Oshakati from 1990. We have several uranium mines and access to water; indeed today we have better facilities that cannot be compared to when we gained our independence,” Angula said. Human rights activist, Rosa Namises, said very little can be celebrated next week. “As I look back, this was a country that was haunted by the apartheid regime; a country where movement was restricted; a country where, especially, the black people were not to use some of the services. “We were a country engulfed with discrimination, as privileges were reserved only for certain people, and where health facilities were segregated, but now we have worked more on infrastructure and left housing behind. “We were moved from one location in the past, so that after independence better houses can be built for people, but this has not been done, and this is the reason why we have so many shacks, with unhygienic conditions. “We have denied citizens their land. We have not managed to capture the craftsmen that abused the people before independence, and we don’t see any possible solution to housing challenges; we only see flats that are mushrooming in the country. Who owns them? Are they paying tax? Who benefits from them?” Namises added that what she sees is a country that has created wealth, only for a small group of people. “What I see, is a small group creating wealth, only for themselves. In the fishing quotas there are discrepancies going on; no one benefits, but a few people. There is an equality problem in this country. Reconciliation is still far from being achieved, but all is not negative. “I will celebrate for the elderly that are being recognised, the establishment of the Food Bank, the fact that we are a peaceful country, and not xenophobic, because we embrace foreigners,” Namises said. DTA leader McHenry Venaani told the Windhoek Observer that Namibians should cherish Independence Day, while adding that the only thing that can be celebrated is freedom. “If some of us can still remember back then, before independence, the rights to speak up, to criticise, to disagree, were not there. But now we have the freedom to do that. “But we are still far away from celebrating the achievements in this country. We have failed for 27 years; we have a backlog of unemployment, a backlog of training, a backlog of providing the ordinary people with basic utilities. “The rich people are becoming richer, while the poor are becoming poorer. There is no economic liberty. But let us celebrate the day, it comes once a year and we should all cherish the freedom that we have,” Venaani said.

1.22 Grotes soek grond by Okakarara: Verkooptransaksie deur private verdrag Republikein|22/03/2017 Bekende persoonlikhede wil besighede in die dorpie Okakarara begin. Dit ná die dorpsraad se nuwe leier•skap pogings aangewend het om meer beleggings te lok. Die munisipaliteit het in Maart vanjaar 'n kennisgewing gepubliseer om die publiek die geleentheid te gee om beswaar aan te teken teen die

17 verkoop en verhuur van sowat 30 eiendomme deur private verdrag. Besware moet teen 29 Maart aangeteken wees. Een van die potensiële beleggers is 'n Chinese maatskappy, geregistreer as Sino Nami Development CC. Die eienaar is ene mnr. Clark Qiao en hy het aansoek gedoen vir die verhuring van 50 hektaar grond by die munisipaliteit. Die munisipaliteit se skakelbord was teen Maandag 20 Maart nog onbeantwoord, en daar kon dus nie vasgestel word waarom die Chinese maatskappy dié groot stuk grond van die dorp wou huur nie. Regeringskontrakte: 'n Google-soektog het opgelewer dat “Clark Qiao” die president van 'n konstruksiemaatskappy genaamd Qingdao Construction (Namibia) CC is, en dat regeringskontrakte van multimiljoene aan dié maatskappy toegeken is. Op navraag het personeel van die maatskappy gesê Qiao dra geen kennis van 'n grondtransaksie met die munisipaliteit van Okakarara nie. Die munisipaliteit beoog om die eiendom teen N$4 000 te verhuur. Verder gaan 'n groot stuk grond van 43 hektaar aan mnr. Eben-Ezer Karokohe verhuur word teen N$2 500 en 20 hektaar aan mnr. Arnold Hindjou vir dieselfde bedrag. Mnr. Gabes Hikuama wil 10 hektaar teen N$1 500 huur. Die voormalige Swapo-parlementslid, mnr. Kazenambo Kazenambo, wat ook grond op ander dorpe besit, wil vyf hektaar vir 'n sakesone teen N$3 miljoen koop. Die bekende Brahman-teler, mnr. Justus Tjirimuje, wil 25 hektaar grond teen N$15 miljoen koop, en 'n sakeman van die Noorde, mnr. Benson Zaaruka, wil 'n “oop spasie” van 23 908 m2 vir 'n onbekende doel teen N$357 000 koop. Groot name: Standard Bank se uitvoerende hoof, mnr. Vetumbuavi Mungunda, wil 32 680 m2 teen N$1, 1 miljoen in 'n sakegebied koop. Die akademikus mnr. Phanuel Kaapama wil namens Anangwe Marine Harvesting & Processing, 'n besigheidserf van 1 955 m2 teen N$68 775 koop, en die voormalige Nudo-politikus, mnr. Benestus Kandundu, is bereid om N$900 000 vir 'n besigheidserf van 1 500 m2 te haal.

1.23 New twist in Keetmans land saga The Namibian|23/03/2017 The Keetmanshoop municipality has approved a new layout of 200 erven in Noordhoek Extension 5, amid claims that the firm that redesigned it was appointed unprocedurally. Plan Africa Consulting, the company that redesigned the layout was contracted by the under-fire Keetmanshoop mayor Gaudentia Kröhne, whose husband's relative allegedly owns the company. Documents seen by The Namibian reveal that the town council resolved on 26 January 2017 to sub-divide the extension in line with a revised layout. The resolution was confirmed at the 28 February council meeting after a proposal by councillor Gabriel Freyer, seconded by councillor Ernst Jash. Reliable sources indicated that the town council had not requested a new design for the extension, and that the resolution to endorse the new layout was illegal. They also pointed out that the redesign would cost the cash- strapped municipality N$504 690 despite that the whole redesign initiative “smacks of corruption” and is wasteful. The town economic development manager, Jegg Christiaan, has in the past accused Kröhne of unilaterally stopping the servicing of the 200 erven and favouring Plan Africa Consulting. Christiaan claimed that Kröhne hijacked the servicing project, endangered a N$41m funding commitment from the agriculture ministry and pushed council to source a loan from a commercial bank for the redesign. Krohne has, however, said Conenpro, a civil engineering firm awarded the land servicing project appointed Plan Africa Consulting. She further said the town council considered and approved the proposal for a revised layout by Conenpro because of its cost and efficiency benefits, and had subsequently approved Plan Africa Consulting's redesign “in principle, although the procurement procedures still need to be followed”. According to Kröhne, the redesign would be funded from the project budget, “and not out of council's coffers”. Keetmanshoop chief executive officer Desmond Basson, who chairs the municipality's tender board, said he did not know about the tender awarded to Plan Africa Consulting. “The contract should have been awarded by the tender board, because it is a new proposal,” Basson explained, adding that the redesign was supposed to be “legally approved”, because Conenpro was appointed for a “certain scope of work”. In the meantime, the cost of servicing the land, excluding the construction of houses, has apparently escalated to N$65 million and that because of this escalation, the agriculture ministry might withdraw funding commitment. Kröhne, however, said the agriculture ministry has “no reason to pull out of the

18 memorandum of understanding it signed with council”. If the ministry does pull out, Kröhne added, Conenpro would seek funding and council will provide land, while the funders would be paid from the sale of the plots. She indicated that Conenpro has already obtained the necessary financing. Conenpro director Mbinge Watson Hindjou could not be reached for comment as his cellphone went unanswered.

1.24 Rade se boeke 'n gemors: Onvoldoende dokumente ingedien Republikein|24/03/2017 'n Prentjie van chaos en boekhouding wat nie klop nie het na vore gekom nadat ouditverslae van dorpsrade en munisipaliteite aan die parlement voorgelê is. Vier ouditverslae is deur verskillende rade vir verskeie boekjare voorgelê – elk vergesel van 'n gekwalifiseerde ouditopinie. Dit beteken daar is nie genoegsame bewyse vir transaksies nie, daar is onsekerhede in skattings, en onvoldoende dokumentasie is vir ouditdoeleindes ingedien. Daar is ook bates en geld wat nie verklaar is nie, voorraadopnames wat nie gedoen is nie, laat-betalings en boetes, melding van ongesteunde aanpassings, asook verskeie oor- en onderskattings. Bedrog en korrupsie kan dus ongehinderd floreer. Dorpsrade Kalkrand: Volgens die ouditeurgeneraal se verslag van 30 Junie 2014 tot 2015 oor Kalkrand, kon die ouditeurs nie voorsorg ter waarde van meer as N$2 miljoen bevestig nie weens 'n gebrek aan ondersteunende dokumentasie. Ondersteunende dokumente is ook nie ingedien vir betalings ter waarde van N$367 310 in 2014 nie. Die dorpsraad het in 2014 'n bedrag van N$353 970 as 'n subsidie beskikbaar gestel vir kragkostes, hoewel die ouditeurs nie dié bedrag in bankstate kon vind nie. In 2014 se finansiële state reflekteer N$255 088 as geld wat vir kontraktuele werk betaal is, hoewel ouditeurs slegs N$106 800 daarvan kon bevestig - die res is nie verklaar nie. Terwyl die raad geëis het dat N$88 040 aan herstelwerk bestee word, kon slegs N$4 679 gevind word. Die oorblywende N$83 971 is nie verklaar nie. Die ouditeurs kon ook nie die voltooiing en akkuraatheid van die aankoop van eiendom en toerusting ter waarde van N$101 497 in die 2015-boekjaar bevestig nie, omdat ondersteunende dokumente nie verskaf is nie. Reis- en verblyftoelae en verlofuitbetalings van onderskeidelik N$65 866 en N$25 289 in 2015 kon nie geverifieer word nie. Daar was ook in 2015 'n onverklaarbare verskil van meer as N$3, 5 miljoen tussen die kasboek en die grootboek. Nóg 'n onverklaarbare verskil van N$552 205 op grootmaat-elektrisiteitsaankope en N$77 403 op grootmaat-wateraankope is tussen die verskafferstate en finansiële state gevind. 'n Voorlopige rekening van N$570 325 in 2014 is nie vereffen nie en statuêre aftrekkings is nie betyds betaal nie. Gibeon: Op Gibeon is die prentjie ewe somber. Vir die 2012-'13-boekjaar is kapitaalprojekte ter waarde van N$367 310 nie geregverdig nie, voorlopige rekeninge van N$658 442 (in 2012) en N$769 708 (in 2013) is nie vereffen nie, en bankrekonsiliasiestate en kasboeke is nie vir ouditdoeleindes verskaf nie. Daar was geen vaste bateregister nie, die stoorkamer is nie behoorlik bestuur nie, bankstate vir beleggingsrekeninge is nie verskaf nie en daar was wanvoorstellings van massa- •wateraankope ter waarde van meer as N$1 miljoen (in 2012) en meer as N$600 000 (in 2013). Daar was 'n gebrek aan ondersteunende dokumente vir konsultasiefooie van N$97 123 (in 2012) en N$759 534 (in 2013). Geen goedgekeurde tariewe is ingehandig vir die gebruik van private elektrisiteit nie, finale voorlopige verdienste-verslae is nie ingedien nie, sommige BTW-opgawes is nie ingedien nie en verliese is onderskat. Die Saambou-programme vir beide Kalkrand en Gibeon is nie behoorlik geadministreer nie. Munisipaliteite: Hoewel munisipaliteite in 'n minder chaotiese toestand blyk te wees, is daar steeds reuse-onreëlmatighede• in die wyse waarop finansiële rekeningkunde• toegepas word. Outjo: Vir die boekjaar wat in Junie 2015 geëindig het, het die munisipaliteit nie eksterne regeringslenings van meer as N$2 miljoen terugbetaal nie. Die raad het meer as N$22 miljoen se slegte skuld afgeskryf, wat meer as N$1, 7 miljoen insluit weens bedrog in vroeër jare. Daar was 'n onverklaarbare verskil van N$95 584 tussen inkomsteverslae en die betaalstaat soos in finansiële state opgeteken. Bonusuitgawes van N$206 364 kon nie verduidelik word nie en geen ondersteunende dokumente is verskaf nie. Nagenoeg N$3 miljoen in deposito's kon nie aan debiteure verbind word nie, en inventarisse van meer as N$73 000 kon nie geverifieer word nie.

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Behuisingsfonds-•vooruitbetalings van meer as N$6 miljoen was uitstaande en verbruikersdeposito's vir dienste was nie genoeg om maandelikse diensfooie te dek nie. Gobabis: Vir die boekjaar wat in Junie 2015 geëindig het, het die munisipaliteit voorsorg getref vir meer as N$28 miljoen se slegte skuld. 'n Noemenswaardige porsie van dié skuld is egter aan skuldinvorderaars oorhandig. Daar was egter 'n onderskatting van N$1,2 miljoen vir die voorsorg van twyfelagtige skuld. Geen ondersteunende dokumente vir aanpassings ter waarde van meer as N$22 miljoen is ingedien nie, inventarisse is nie behoorlik gedoen nie en die munisipaliteit het nie meterlesings voorsien wat as basis dien vir elektrisiteitsuitgawes vir eie verbruik ter waarde van nagenoeg N$1 miljoen nie.

1.25 Dorpsraad ontken nepotisme: kernfunksies word verander Republikein|27/03/2017 Ontevrede inwoners van Keetmanshoop voer aan die dorpsraad “straf die armes” terwyl raadslede, hul families en werknemers van die dorpsraad bevoordeel word. Hulle wil hê die Teenkorrupsie Kommissie (ACC) moet ondersoek na moontlike botsende belange in die toekenning van munisipale kampe instel. Die inwoners, wat verkies om anoniem te bly, verwys spesifiek na die kampe wat vir ‘n verdere vyf jaar aan mense verhuur word wat reeds gevestigde belange in die dorpsraad het. Die huurders is mnr. Clyde Kröhn (die eggenoot van die burgemeester, me. Gaudentia Kröhne), die burgemeester se skoonsuster, me. Jean Kröhne, mnr. Basil Brown (‘n voormalige burgemeester), mnr. Thomas Shatipamba (pa van die adjunkburgemeester, me. Hilia Shatipamba), mnr. Arnold Losper (voormalige burgemeester), mnr. Nimrod Swartz (werknemer van die munisipaliteit), asook mnre. Cyril Pieters, Mervin Fisch, Johan van der Merwe, Willie Kisting en Marius Blaauw. Die hoof uitvoerende beampte van die munisipaliteit, mnr. Desmond Basson, ontken klagte van botsende belange en nepotisme. Basson sê Clyde Kröhne het die munisipale kamp, waar hy met varke boer, gehuur voordat hy in Desember 2015 met die burgemeester getroud is. Hy sê Brown het ‘n kamp gehuur voordat hy burgemeester geword het en is N$5 per hektaar huur gevra. Brown het klaarblyklik aansoek gedoen vir die kamp terwyl hy as onderwyser werk, omdat hy van voorneme is om leerlinge vir uitstappies daarheen te neem. Basson sê al die ander het met die munisipaliteit sake gedoen voordat die nuwe raadslede verkies is. Dit, sê hy, sluit Swartz in, wie se aanstelling by die munisipaliteit voorwaardelik is. Hy sal ook aan die einde van die jaar afstand van sy kamp doen. Die huurooreenkoms :die munisipaliteit het aanvanklik in Julie 2009 ooreenkomste het die huurders gesluit. Dit het op 30 Junie 2012 ten einde geloop. Die huurders het egter geweier om die kampe te verlaat en die munisipaliteit het met hofprosedures begin. Die voormalige minister van streek- en plaaslike owerhede, genl.maj. (afgetree) Charles Namoloh, het egter die dorpsraad opdrag gegee om buite die hof te skik, wat hulle gedoen het. Basson sê ‘n deel van die skikking was om die huurders ‘n bykomende vyf jaar aan te bied. Aan die einde van die huurtydperk sal die kampe geadverteer en verhuur word aan die persone wat die hoogste aanbiedinge maak. Ingevolge die nuwe huurooreenkomste word die kampe teen N$5 per hektaar verhuur. Die ontevrede inwoners voer egter aan dat die dorpsraad intussen, klaarblyklik vanweë die droogte, besluit het om die huur tot ‘n skamele N$1,50 per hektaar te verlaag en sou die situasie verbeter, sal die huurders N$2,50 per hektaar gevra word. Basson sê as deel van die skikkingsooreenkoms het die munisipaliteit aanvanklik N$6, 60 per hektaar gevra, wat die amptelike tarief volgens die Staatskoerant is. Hy sê die huurders het N$1, 00 per hektaar aangebied, maar daar is ooreengekom dat hulle N$2, 00 per hektaar gedurende die droogte sal betaal en N$3, 30 per hektaar (sonder belasting op toegevoegde waarde) nadat goeie reën ontvang is. “Dit maak nie ekonomiese sin om sulke tariewe te vra terwyl die dorpsraad in ‘n finansiële krisis is nie. Die raad dwing ander om hul tariewe te betaal, maar die huurders van die kampe word toegelaat om belaglike betalings te doen, terwyl die dorp ‘n goeie opbrengs uit die kampte se verhuring kon gekry het,” het een van die inwoners gesê. Tydens die konflik tussen die munisipaliteit en die huurders is geen betalings vir die gebruik van die kampe gevra nie. Dit het ‘n verlies aan huurinkomste van N$496 849 meegebring, wat die munisipaliteit later besluit het om nie van die huurders terug te eis nie. “Die munisipaliteit is aanvanklik aangeraai om nie betaling van die huurders te aanvaar indien ‘n ooreenkoms nie bereik kon word nie. Die

20 aanvaarding van betaling sou daarop neerkom dat die munisipaliteit die onwettige besetting van dorpsgrond aanvaar. Geen rekeninge is aan die huurders uitgereik nie en gevolglik het die skuld nie teen hulle opgehoop nie,” het Basson gesê. Basson sê daar word van die huurders vereis om die kampe en water-infrastruktuur in stand te hou, waarvoor hulle markverwante tariewe gehef word. Hy sê die huurgeld is laag omdat die munisipaliteit besluit het om nie die infrastruktuur van die kampe in stand te hou nie. Die munisipaliteit het ‘n eis van die huurders om die grond vir 99 jaar te huur, verwerp omdat dit dorpsgrond en nie plaasgrond is nie. Daar word beweer dat sommige van die huurders permanente infrastruktuur in die munisipale kampe opgerig het “asof hulle die eienaars is”. Basson sê enige infrastruktuur wat sonder die munisipaliteit se toestemming opgerig is, “sal aan die eienaar (die munisipaliteit) behoort,” ingevolge die vaste reëls van die huurooreenkoms. “Die uitverhuring van kampe is nie die kernbesigheid van die raad nie en geld wat van nie-kern- sakeaktiwiteite ingevorder word, reflekteer die ekonomiese realiteit,” het Basson gesê. “Die voorsiening van water, sanitasie, elektrisiteit en die verwydering van riool van die armste mense is die kernsakeaktiwiteit van die munisipaliteit. Dit is slegs met die invordering van geld vir kerndienste wat die munisipaliteit kan voortgaan om sake te doen,” het hy bygevoeg. Basson sê al die kamphuurders betaal tans wat hulle verskuldig is. “Sou bevind word dat sommige huurders ophou betaal het, sal ons die regsproses volg. Die uitstaande bedrae sal van die skuldige partye verhaal word en hulle sal uit die betrokke kampe verwyder word. Die beskikbare kampe sal dan aan die volgende persoon op die waglys aangebied word,” het Basson gesê

1.26 City Police dismantle illegal 7de Laan shacks The Namibian|29/03/2017 The Windhoek City Police dismantled about 13 shacks and left 40 families homeless in Otjomuise's 7de Laan informal settlement yesterday. The affected people said they had not been warned of the impending police action, and had not been served with a court order instructing them to remove their illegal structures. They also said the City Police came banging on their doors as early as 05h00, and started dismantling shacks while occupants were still waking up. Some people said they had been staying in the area for three months, while others had only been there for two weeks. The group's spokesperson Penda Mulunga confirmed that police had taken down 13 shacks, and that more than 40 families were affected. Mulunga also said the least police could have done was to have given them notice before dismantling the structures. City police senior superintendent Gerry Shikesho said the illegal shacks were erected very recently because the area was under police monitoring daily. According to him, the shacks had not been there on Sunday, and must have been erected on Monday. “We have photos and records from our members who patrol the area to prove that these structures were not up the day before,” he said. Shikesho stated that the City Police did not need a court order to remove illegal structures erected on city land. He added that the affected people had been given ample time to dismantle their shacks, and had been warned that their materials would be confiscated if police did the dismantling. Although the affected people claimed the City Police were selective when removing illegal shacks, Shikesho said there were technical reasons why some structures were not dismantled. The City Police also confiscated the materials of some shacks, and the owners will not get them back. Shikesho said some people were erecting shacks to rent out. “I can go to my bank, get N$20 000, and put up a structure here and rent it out. It is a whole business. It needs to be done properly,” he stressed. Affirmative Repositioning (AR) activist Job Amupanda was also at the scene, and claimed the City Police action was illegal. Shikesho, who had initially requested those affected to voluntarily dismantle their shacks so that their material would not be confiscated, said Amupanda became a distraction and caused some people not to cooperate. Amupanda apparently referenced a proclamation which states that if there was a bed in a structure, it could not be dismantled without a court order. “You must not be used by them to destroy your own house. How can you destroy your own house? They also have their own houses. Those police officers are testing us now. We can also destroy their houses the same way they are destroying our houses,” he said. He added that the affected people should be compensated for any

21 damage to their property as a result of the City Police action, maintaining his claim that the action was illegal.

1.27 N$419k required for a house The Namibian Sun|29/03/2017 First Capital has established that it costs about N$419 231 to build a three-bedroom house in Windhoek, N$387 060 at Swakopmund, N$336 475 at Keetmanshoop, N$339 595 at Ondangwa, N$343 762 at Rundu and N$338 563 at Katima Mulilo. In its assessment, First Capital compared the prices of standard building materials used in these seven towns. It found that the cost of building materials was higher at Rundu and Katima Mulilo because of the distances that goods must be transported. The price of building materials in Windhoek was also high. “As expected, the cost of building materials is higher at Katima Mulilo and Rundu, due mainly to transport costs. These two towns are followed by Windhoek with a cost of N$232 000 on account of high demand and high concentration of construction activities. According to our findings, Swakopmund is cheapest with a cost of N$230 400 for building materials needed to set up a three-bedroom house,” said First Capital. Explaining what influenced the cost of construction in the different towns, First Capital said: “Given differing prices of building materials in every town and the prices of land, the cost of constructing a house differs too. Because of cheap land in Keetmanshoop, building a standard three-bedroom house in that town costs N$336 475 while in Windhoek the same size of house with similar specifications costs N$419 231. “The high price of building in Windhoek is influenced mainly by land, which remains expensive relative to the price in other towns. Although the average cost of building materials is [lower] in Windhoek and Swakopmund, the cost of building a house there is N$60 000 more than the cost of building the same house in other parts of the country due to land price differentials that favour other towns while in Windhoek and Swakopmund [land] remains expensive.” On average a three-bedroom house in Windhoek or Swakopmund costs N$403 306, with 20% of that cost being paid for the plot. The materials account for 57% of the price. In other towns, building the same house costs N$340 515, with materials accounting for 68% of the total cost and land only 5%, First Capital found. Building material prices have increased considerably since 2010, First Capital found. The average cost of building materials increased by 32% between 2010 and 2016. Notable price increases were in building materials like bricks, whose price surged by 48.7% during the period. “Though the price of cement declined substantially during 2011 and 2012, overall cement prices increased by 25.6% between 2010 and 2016. “This translates to an average annual inflation of 5.4% in building materials. Across all towns, the price of land increased by 27% over the same six-year period between 2010 and 2016. “However, the market price of houses increased by 97.7% over the same period. This increase in the selling price of houses is three times more than the increases in materials and land costs. “On an annual basis, market selling prices of houses increased by 16.3%. For every N$1 increase in the price of the cost of constructing a house, the selling price increases by N$3.”

1.28 Shack demolitions 'inhumane' The Namibian Sun|30/03/2017 The Swapo Party Youth League has accused the Windhoek City Council and municipality of inhumane and oppressive treatment of vulnerable residents, as well as potentially costing the ruling party votes during elections. “We must be mindful that the actions of certain institutions will have direct effect on the people's voting choice come election time,” said SPYL acting secretary Veikko Nekundi. Nekundi listed numerous recent actions by city authorities, including the “ill-advised, inhumane demolishing of shacks in the 7de Laan informal and black majority inhabited areas of the city, the deliberate closure of the car washes in Katutura and the breakdown of the Ishitiile welding business, the forceful removal of enterprising youth from their livelihoods and places where they trade their skills instead of stealing or being on the streets.” He claimed that the City Police had acted “outside

22 of the law” when they ordered the dismantling of at least 10 shacks on Monday, saying it was illegal to destroy a “fixed structure without a court order.” Bernadine Mynhardt, a lawyer at the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), said a court order was needed before dismantling or destroying any property or before evicting any person from municipal land, whether that occupation is illegal or not. She explained that in a previous court case on an illegal occupation dispute, the judge had made it clear that “every person should have his day in court”. In Junias versus the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Windhoek, a judgement dating back to 2014, it was ruled that in order for a structure to be removed, even if it was illegal, “a court order would need to be obtained and it would not be open to the respondent to remove a structure possessed in that way in the absence of such an order”. In a 2013 case, the Supreme Court in Shaanika and Others versus Windhoek City Police and Others struck down “offending provisions of the Squatters Proclamation as being in conflict with the constitution”. In that case the court emphasised that a court order was needed before structures could be demolished or removed, in order to ensure that impartial and independent bodies determined legal disputes before any action was taken.It was also ruled that disputes about illegal occupation of land could “give rise to social disturbance and anger, particularly because the exercise of the power may be seen to be unfair or abusive”. The judgment also addressed the need for preventing land invasions as an “important and legitimate government purpose”, Mynhardt explained. However, the courts emphasised that the prevention of land invasions could be achieved in other ways that were less harmful to the rights and interests of citizens. The courts acknowledged that the demolition of homes could be potentially intensely harmful to the rights and interests of people, and thus a court order was necessary to ensure an impartial and independent determination “of the legal question before the harmful process of demolition and eviction takes place,” Mynhardt said. City Police Chief Abraham Kanime yesterday said that in the view of the police, the actions on Monday were preventive and had taken place before occupation was final. He explained that the illegal settlers had prepared the shacks in advance, at another location, and had dug the trenches, but had not yet put everything in place when police intervened and ordered the removal of the structures. He questioned the decision by the SPYL to announce their views at a press conference instead of approaching the City Police or other lawmakers with their concerns. “These are the people who want to become future politicians and here they are promoting anarchy. They want to see a country ungoverned. They are creating a breeding ground for lawlessness and they should refrain from inciting lawlessness,” Kanime said. He defended the actions of the City Police in the removal of illegal shacks as well as the closure of illegal car washes and other illegal businesses. “I can tell you, we are professional police officers. And we are part of the community. But we have a duty and that is to protect the laws of the country. He also fired back at Nekundi and other critics, saying that instead of criticising the police for doing their work, political parties should encourage their followers to obey the law. Nekundi also took aim at the City of Windhoek's administrative departments, accusing them of incompetence when processing paperwork, in particular applications to register businesses, including car washes. He added that the City should be prepared to handle the influx of people and the need for serviced erven, an issue that had led to illegal occupation of land.Kanime said that the car-wash campaign was launched in mid-2016, when an awareness campaign was launched to help inform car-wash owners of the requirements to run a legal operation and to provide information on the various requirements, including water saving measures.He emphasised that although the police and the City of Windhoek had shown patience and provided guidance to businesses on how to operate lawfully, the law remained paramount. “When we do what we do, it is with a clear conscience because we need to look into all the aspects. But law and order should be respected by all of us in the land of the brave.”

1.29 City ordered to stop removing 7de Laan shacks The Namibian|31/03/2017 The High Court has ordered the City of Windhoek to stop removing shacks and to arrange accommodation for families whose shacks were destroyed at Otjomuise on Tuesday. The Windhoek

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City Police destroyed 13 shacks at the 7de Laan informal settlement on Tuesday, leaving about 40 families homeless. Fifteen of the affected families were helped by the Affirmative Repositioning movement to seek a court order stopping the city from dismantling their shacks, and on Wednesday evening judge Shafimana granted an interim interdict in which he ordered that the City of Windhoek must not remove or demolish, or cause to be demolished or removed, any shack belonging to the 15 applicants. Judge Ueitele also ordered that the City of Windhoek must arrange alternative suitable accommodation for Christine Likuwa, who is the first applicant in the case in which 15 shack owners are suing the Municipal Council of Windhoek and the Windhoek City Police, until the case has been finalised. In addition, the 15 shack owners who took the matter to court were ordered not to erect any new shacks within the area situated in the 7de Laan settlement, pending the outcome of their case. Judge Ueitele postponed the hearing of the matter to today. Likuwa, an informal trader, claimed in an affidavit filed at the court that she was left homeless after the Windhoek City Police dismantled her shack where she had lived for three years. She charged that the City of Windhoek through the City Police failed to apply its mind, and did not act with an open mind when it dismantled the shacks in total disregard of the principles of natural justice. Likuwa and the other shack owners want the High Court to direct the City of Windhoek to immediately hand back building materials confiscated from them when their homes were broken down, and to immediately restore their homes. In her affidavit, Likuwa is arguing that the right to dignity includes the right to housing and the right not to be subjected to arbitrary evictions and demolitions. Stating that degrading and brutal practices by successive colonial and foreign regimes led Namibian citizens to fight for freedom, justice and independence, Likuwa alleged that the actions of the City of Windhoek and City Police are unreasonable, unfair and not necessary in a democratic society. The breaking down of the houses at 7de Laan this week was unlawful, because the city authorites did not have a court order allowing them to take such action, Likuwa charged. She is claiming that all the shacks which were unlawfully destroyed have been in existence for a period of more than three years. She said she lived in her shack with her three children – of whom one is only four months old – and they and other neighbours have been left homeless after the shack demolitions. Likuwa added that she heard on Monday night that the City Police were planning to demolish their shacks the following day. She narrated that the next morning, there was banging on her door and upon enquiry, the people identified themselves as City Police officers and said they were tired of Oshiwambo-speaking people who came from the north to make the city dirty through erecting shacks. Likuwa said she moved to open the door, and saw six armed City Police officers pointing fingers at her while shouting obscenities at her. The police then pulled her out of her shack, and started throwing out all her belongings, she said. She stated that she had never seen such shocking and humiliating conduct by police, and never wanted to be exposed in such a manner again, adding that the police did not even have a warrant of arrest or a court order to evict her. Lawyer Kadhila Amoomo is representing the 15 shack owners. Thabang Phatela represented the city authorities on Wednesday evening.

1.30 Mass Housing under water Informante|30/03/2017 The Oshakati Town Council has washed its hands of the flooding problem at the new Ehenye residential area, thrusting it, with considerable relief, back to the National Housing Enterprise (NHE). Ehenye has been hard hit by floods following heavy rainfall, with many houses submerged in water. Video footage making the rounds on social media shows some residents wading through knee high water half naked, with their clothes to dress themselves on higher ground in public spaces. The houses at the new residential area were built by NHE under government’s Mass Housing Programme with the aim of catering for low and ultra- low income earners. The houses were last year June officially inaugurated by Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Sophia Shaningwa. Oshakati town spokesperson, Katrina Kamari said the town council is unable to assist the residents of Ehenye affected by the floods as NHE had constructed the houses. “They just have to do self-maintenance on their own house since the residents bought the houses in the condition that they are,” said

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Kamari. Residents insist that that NHE is aware of the flooding, but that homeowners were instead asked to fill their yards with sand at their own cost to prevent water accumulation in their yards. A resident Tileni Shilongo told Informanté that the area is experiencing flooding due to a poor planning that has resulted in uneven land. She blames the NHE and the Oshakati Town Council for not doing proper planning before they started with construction of houses at Eehenye. “The houses were built as if they were digging a dam, which is causing the houses to get flooded after heavy rains,” said Shilongo. NHE Senior Communication and Marketing Officer, Mutonga Matali remained tight-lipped and referred all questions to the line ministry. “The NHE has, on several occasions, advised the media that the mandate given to NHE under the blueprint of the Mass Housing Development Programme was revoked by Cabinet in July 2015,” he said, before referring all inquiries to the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development. Attempts to get comment from the Ministry of Urban and Rural development was unsuccessful, as Mbatjavi D Kahuure-Hardley, Chief Liaison Officer was unreachable at the time of going to print.

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2 Urban infrastructure and services

2.1 Water scarcity not ended by rise in dam levels The Namibian|01/03/2017 The rise in dam levels over the past month should not lull Windhoek residents into thinking that the water scarcity affecting the city has ended, the City of Windhoek cautioned this week. The water scarcity which the city is facing will not be overturned by one good rainy season, City of Windhoek spokesperson Lydia Amutenya remarked on Monday. She noted that there was a general misperception that the dams supplying Windhoek with water have received sufficient inflows to avert the water crisis the city has been facing. Even if the dams providing water to Windhoek were to be full, a scarcity of water would still persist, and the city would continue to be affected, Amutenya said. A collective effort should still be made to save water and ensure a sustainable supply of water to the city's residents, she remarked. “We need to instil a culture of saving water in our community as it remains a scarce resource,” Amutenya said. Windhoek residents continue to miss the 40% water savings target set by the City of Windhoek, though. Last week, residents of the city managed to use only 28% less water than the past norm. Although the levels of the three dams storing water for the city and also for Okahandja have risen over the past month, the Von Bach, Swakoppoort and Omatako dams are still holding only 33% of their combined storage capacity, according to the latest dam bulletin of the Namibia Water Corporation. A year ago, the three dams' combined level was even worse, though, at 15%. The three dams were storing 51, 7 million cubic metres of water on Monday, NamWater reported in the dam bulletin. The Von Bach Dam was filled to 42, 8% of its capacity on Monday (compared to 23% a year ago), while the Omatako Dam was 53, 3% full (7, 3% a year ago) and Swakoppoort's level stood at 12,2% (14,2% a year ago). The combined level of dams in the south of Namibia was measured at 75, 2% on Monday – compared to 52, 2% a year ago. The Hardap Dam is now 72,6% full (44,7% a year ago), the Naute Dam's level is at 94% (95% last year), Oanob is filled to 75,3% capacity (37,2% a year ago), the Dreihuk Dam near Karasburg is 28,4% full (0,7% last year), and the level of the Bondels Dam, also near Karasburg, stands at 15,1% (empty a year ago). Dams in the Gobabis area are faring worse than a year ago, with a combined level of 17, 5% of their storage capacity, compared to a combined level of 29, 7% a year ago. The Otjivero Main Dam is 27, 2% full (45, 4% last year), Otjivero Silt is almost empty at 1, 9% (5, 3% a year ago), Tilda Viljoen's level is at 33, 2% (52, 7% last year), and the Daan Viljoen Dam is 31, 9% full (50, 3% last year). In northern Namibia, the Olushandja Dam's level was recorded at 29, 1% on Monday (28, 1% a year ago). The Omaruru Delta and Omatjene dams – near Henties Bay and Otjiwarongo, respectively – are both still empty, as they also were this time last year. The Goreangab and Friedenau dams are 33, 7% and 101, 3% full, respectively (33, 1% and 99% a year ago).

2.2 Windhoek residents urged to register solar installations The Namibian|02/03/2017 The City of Windhoek has urged residents who have installed photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on their properties but have not registered them to do so through their respective system installers before the end of May this year. The city's public relations officer, Lydia Amutenya made this call at a media briefing on Tuesday, following the gazetting of the net metering law in November 2016. The law will be implemented as from 1 July 2017. Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits owners of solar energy systems for the electricity they put into the national grid. Amutenya said residents with such installations are urged to register at the electricity department with the office of the chief technical inspector between 08h00 and 10h00 before 30 May 2017. “The city has a database of all customers that have registered their grid connected PV solar installations and have the correct bi-directional electricity meter installed that enables us to implement the rules as gazetted,” Amutenya said. So far,

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151 customers connected to the grid have been registered with the local authority. Amutenya said the aim of the registration is to ensure that the city has the right meters in place to enable authorities to do proper inspections. As from 1 July 2017, Windhoek municipality will start banking electrical energy sourced from grid-connected generators at a rate of N$1, 13 per kilowatts hour (kWh). The energy will be used within the council's financial year that runs from 1 July to 30 June the following year. Amutenya said solar installations within the Windhoek electricity network that are not yet registered, may not be fully compliant with the requirements of net metering, as they were not inspected and will not be considered during the implementation. “All residents intending to instal grid connected PV solar installations are encouraged to have the installations registered with the city,” she said. Registration is free of charge.

2.3 Firefighting tanks for three settlements The Namibian|03/03/2017 Residents of the Kriess, Hoachanas and Klein Aub settlements in the Hardap region are now in a better position to protect themselves and their properties against fire when disaster strikes. This is after the Hardap Regional Council bought and handed over firefighting trailers worth approximately N$200 000 to the settlements on Thursday. According to the chairperson of the Hardap regional council, Edward Wambo, the region is faced with fire disasters on a daily basis, and the lack of necessary equipment results in the loss of property and sometimes life. “We therefore deemed it appropriate to procure three firefighting trailers with the limited budget to assist the communities in times they may require help,” he noted. He said the regional council, in collaboration with the office of the governor, conducted an outreach programme to acquaint themselves and better understand the needs and wants of the communities. “We will, therefore, need to commit ourselves to continue providing more services to our communities,” he added. Also speaking at the same event, acting chief regional officer at the Hardap regional council, Theresia Basson said the handing over of these firefighting trailers is a long-standing dream being realised because it will alleviate the exposure of communities to harsh conditions such as household fires. “This is just the beginning and may seem insignificant, but can also extensively assist in the control of veldfires – a common occurrence in our constituencies,” she added. Lorato Khobetsi works for the information ministry's Hardap regional office.

2.4 Water crisis persists Informante|03/03/2017 All the water from the Omatako and the Swakoppoort dam has to be pumped into the Von Bach dam and is then abstracted there, treated and pumped to Windhoek. The Swakoppoort dam got the least inflow and has been used to supply water to Karibib and the Navachab mine in the last few months. The water supplies for Gobabis are dwindling too and inflow into the dams at Omitara and Gobabis has not been very strong yet. The Otjivero Silt and main dam as well as the Tilda and Daan Viljoen dams are together only 17, 5 percent full. The dams in the south have had very good inflow and the sluices of the Hardap Dam had been opened twice for a few hours. Although the Omaruru River has been flowing very strong several times now, the waters have not reached the Omdel Dam close to the coast yet. Swakopmund, Henties Bay and Wlotzkasbaken are getting their drinking water from boreholes at the Omdel Dam.In the northeast of the country, the Mobola Lodge on the banks of the Okavango River, 30km west of Divundu had 20mm of rain on Friday last week, 24 February, and on Saturday 105mm. The water levels in the Cuvelai Iishanas are rising due to heavy rains in the catchments. The highest level is 1,03m at Shaneheke Hydrological Station. The present conditions in the main Cuvelai Iishanas, passing Shanalumono 0,51m, Endola 0,52m and Oshakati, compare well with the floods that hit the area in 2008, 2009 and 2011, a flood situation that was caused by heavy rains in Namibia and in the border areas. NamWater announced, that the average of all the dams in the country stood at 56, 7% of their full capacity on Monday, 27 February. This means that there are

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396 156 million cubic meters of water in all the dams together. Last year at the same time the figures stood at 38, 7% and 270 880 million/m³. If all 17 dams in the country are full, they store 705 855 million/m³.

2.5 Keetmans to address Ileni challenges The New Era|06/03/2017 Keetmanshoop Municipality says it is ready to improve lighting and sanitation at Ileni informal settlement within the coming months. The settlement remains mostly without electricity, while proper ablution facilities remain a distant dream for many residents, with many still using the bushes when nature calls. Municipality spokesperson, Dawn Kruger, says situation in the area will improve soon. Kruger indicated during a press conference at Keetmanshoop on Thursday that after the tribal confrontations at Ileni last month, council has been approached by many parties regarding the challenges the Ileni community faces, which include lack of electricity and street lighting, and lack of ablution facilities, among others. Council has resolved to rectify the issues raised, he revealed. “One of the outcries was for proper lighting in the area, and the council has agreed to approach SELCo to assist with the erection of streetlights at strategic points in the reception area,” she said. “Council has also agreed to look at the general hygiene and sanitation in and around the area.” While erecting streetlights will be in collaboration with SELCo, the municipality Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Desmond Basson, revealed that the municipality would embark on its own project to bring lighting to Ileni through solar-powered streetlights. He said the coverage of the project would depend on the response from the community. He noted that the first lights to be installed would serve as a pilot project to be extended to the whole community once the initial lights are not vandalised. “We have invited quotations and if we are satisfied with the prices, we should be able to do this within two months. But the continuity will depend on how the residents take care of the lights,” he said. He also noted with concern that public toilets erected by the municipality are all not working due to vandalism. He urged residents to use these facilities in the right way and not break them as soon as they are set up, as it costs money to maintain them. Basson said despite the vandalism, the municipality is committed to bringing services to the community and 10 prefabricated toilets will be set up around the area to cater for the residents. The CEO also announced that about 25 houses at Ileni would be installed with electricity within this month, adding that the contractor is already on site. He furthermore stated that the municipality, as like many other institutions in the country, is experiencing cash flow problems and urged residents to pay what is due to the municipality in order to improve the situation. He warned that the municipality has started cutting off water supplies to those residents that are not paying. He was, however, confident that despite the financial problems, the municipality is well positioned to pay what is due to water utility, NamWater. He, therefore, assured residents that there would be no water cuts by NamWater. “We have about N$4 million outstanding, but we don’t have issues with paying and we have made payment arrangements with NamWater and we will honour that arrangement,” he said.

2.6 Hospital dumps medical waste at public site The Namibian|09/03/2017 The Ongwediva Medipark private hospital is accused of dumping medical waste at the town's municipal dumpsite, while the Ongwediva Town Council stands accused of looking the other way. Sources said for a long time now, the hospital's vans have been dropping medical waste at the dumpsite at night. The latest incident happened on Saturday night when bakkies belonging to the hospital were seen dumping many bags of medical waste at the municipal dumpsite around 21h00. According to one source, the bags were destroyed at midnight. “When we went there on Sunday morning, all the waste was burned,” the source, who witnessed and photographed the dumping, told The Namibian. Medical facilities are prohibited from using public dumpsites. A worker at the dumpsite, who collects paper and glass for a local recycling company, confirmed that the hospital

28 had been dumping medical waste at the site for a long time. “I used to see them most nights. They never come during the day, but only at night. But one day, they came in the morning as we met them when we came to work,” the worker stated. According to her, the waste was quickly destroyed. A local resident whom The Namibian spoke to at the dumpsite yesterday, said legal action should be taken against the hospital for dumping its waste at a public dump site and that the Ongwediva Town Council should be investigated for allowing it. “If it is true, they should have questions to answer. They are risking our lives and those of our children,” Malakia Efraim said. He added that many people, including children, used to go to the site to scavenge, and the medical waste could endanger their lives. “Not only those who go to the dumpsite, but even us, because the smoke that comes from the waste might even be poisonous,” he stressed. He also expressed concern that some items, including human tissue, organs or body parts might not be thoroughly burned and then pose a health risk. Elizabeth Booysen, the Ongwediva MediPark's spokesperson, confirmed on Tuesday that it was dumping waste at the site, but stated that it had been arranged with the Ongwediva Town Council. She said the hospital did so because it did not have an incinerator, adding that the waste is burned at night because of the hospital's operations. Ongwediva health inspector Penda Kashihakumwa confirmed that the council had an agreement with the hospital to use the site, but only for general waste, not medical waste. “I do not know now which waste they are dumping at night because we do not allow them to dump medical waste there,” he stated. He endeavored to follow up with the hospital and to come back to this reporter, but never did so. When called yesterday, he said he was in a meeting, and never replied to a text message.

2.7 Walvis residents irked by system failure The Namibian|09/03/2017 WALVIS Bay residents are frustrated over the billing system at the town's municipality. The residents claim that they are unsure about the accuracy of their municipal bills, and constantly worry about what they owe for water and other services. They say they have been visiting the municipality since January this year for water bills, but are constantly being told to come back the next day or week because the system is off-line. “The first thing that you want to do at the end of the month is pay your bills so that you can be sure what you are left with for the rest of the month. Some of us cannot sleep, knowing that we owe money. We are not sure how much we owe because the system is always off. What if the bill finally comes with a huge amount that we cannot pay?” asked Timothy David. He said that he is especially worried that residents' water supply might be disconnected when they do not pay their bills on time. David added that they were advised to pay more or less what they usually pay, but people are not sure how much to pay as the amount varies every month. Ndapandula Jason said she gave up going to the municipality because she was wasting money in paying taxi fares. “I got tired waiting, and used the money. I had to travel to town regularly since last month, but there were too many tomorrows. I did not go back any more. I kept N$200 only. People are told to just pay what they usually pay. So, who knows how much that is? I have no idea what I owe now”. Some residents, however, accepted that mistakes happen, but were also worried that there might be surprises once they finally receive their statements from the municipality. They are demanding that the municipality clarifies the issue forthwith. The municipality's public relations and customer service manager, Kevin Adams, thanked the public for their cooperation, and said he was aware of the people's frustrations. “We have been hamstrung as a result of a virus attack on the IT network, but we have engaged experts to restore the database and improve network security,” he responded. Adams appealed to the residents to be patient, as some of the problems are still being resolved. While the municipality is getting its billing schedule up to date, customers are advised to obtain their account balances from any of the customer service desks (in person or by phone). Alternatively, they can wait for their statements, which will be mailed on 10 March. The final payment date for this month has been shifted to 17 March.

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2.8 Roads swept away by heavy rains The New Era|09/03/2017 Recent heavy rains have swept away several segments of gravel roads in the north, leaving some communities completely cut off from accessing basic services. The regions affected are Oshana and Omusati. Roads washed away in Oshana Region include the N$60 million Okatana-Ongwediva road and Okaku-Ohalushu road. In Omusati Region, Ogongo and Onesi constituencies are completely cut off as roads to these areas are inaccessible. All the roads leading to Onesi, Tsandi-Onesi, Onesi Epalela, Olupaka Onesi have been rendered inaccessible, revealed the Governor of Omusati Region, Erginus Endjala. Other affected roads in Omusati Region are Tsandi-Omugulugombashe, Okahao- Outapi and the one from Outapi to Onesi. “Even the road that runs through the town to Onesi is under water,” Endjala said. The details were made known at the Roads Authority (RA) briefing with the governors of Omusati and Oshana regions. The RA delegation was led by its chief executive officer Conrad Lutombi. The RA team is visiting the two regions to familiarise themselves with the situation and to find solutions to making the roads accessible again, especially with normal floods reported to have worsened in light of heavy rainfall. Lutombi said district roads are seasonal roads which are prone to damage during harsh seasons, adding that they are aimed at connecting villages and other social aspects of the communities. “It is not a trunk road where we invest resources to ensure accessibility throughout. You will have wash-aways, you will have damage and that is why we have a maintenance team,” said Lutombi. Lutombi further dismissed misinterpretations of individuals suggesting that RA has wasted money on the construction of district roads, saying that such roads have a life span of about seven years and thereafter need to be re-gravelled. Meanwhile a maintenance team has already been deployed to monitor the affected road segments and to repair repairable segments to make the roads accessible again. Some sections of the roads that have been washed away will only be repaired when the water flow diminishes because some culverts are blocked, Oshana Governor Clemens Kashuupulwa briefed the RA delegation. RA has issued a directive to close the damaged roads while a directive will be issued to unblock culverts to ease the flow of excess rainwater. Kashuupulwa also reported to RA that the rehabilitation of the Oluno- Uukwiyu Uushona road is moving at a snail’s pace because the traditional authorities were not consulted to permit RA to abstract road usage materials from their villages. New Era last year reported on the deplorable conditions of the Oluno-Uukwiyu Uushona gravel road. Kashuupulwa appealed for concerted communication to avoid blocking of developmental projects in the region.

2.9 Catchment pond poses risk to residents The New Era|10/03/2017 A catchment pond filled with rainwater within Omuthiya poses a drowning risk to those living nearby, who have to cross the deep water to access their homes. Omuthiya residents say the catchment pond has become a mosquito breeding-ground and puts them at risk of contracting malaria. The pond, measuring six metres deep, was dug before Omuthiya was proclaimed a town. Saima Shipepe, a resident at Okamukuku, says she has to cross the water daily when going to and from work. Her room and her doorstep are both flooded, putting her at great risk.“ Mosquitos are now the biggest challenge. As for the water, it is better now because it is subsiding a bit, compared to when it was above the knee up to the thighs. I hope the municipality will do something in future so that the same situation does not prevail,” Shipepe said. Meanwhile, the town’s chief executive officer, Samuel Mbango, said the floodwater around the town will soon be a thing of the past, as the town council moves to implement its stormwater master plan, designed four years ago. At the moment there are no funds to implement the master plan that will cost millions. “The master plan is ready for execution, but it is only the issue of funds to realise its construction. Anyway, for the past years we have not received such an amount of water and we fear it is still going to rain again.“Other than that, we were just unable to continue with the stormwater construction along the B1 road, because the Roads Authority was still busy with the design of the upgrade of the road to a dual carriageway, hence we did not want to start, because we would jeopardise their work and in the same vein we 30 could not put money in as it might have been wasted at the end of the day,” Mbango explained.“We have thus far decided to incorporate our design of the stormwater channel with that of Roads Authority when they begin constructing the dual carriageway. We are anticipating they will start soon, so they can make provisions for the water to pass under the road.“But if they don’t start soon, in the meantime we will have to construct some channels that can take the water from that dam to the quarries, which are on the eastern side of the town as per our design, although this will require a lot of money,” Mbango further elaborated. Speaking of the expenses involved, Mbango referred to the 1.2 km stormwater channel, which was constructed in town last year. He says it cost the town council about N$3 million to construct. “We are aware of the problem. There is even a road passing through that pond, but it could not be developed before we can construct the channel. For now we will turn it into a catchment pond to collect all the water before we can divert the water somewhere. After that we can proceed to construct the road,” he noted.

2.10 Govt called to act on sanitation The Namibian|14/03/2017 Various National Council members last week called on government to be faster and more innovative in addressing poor sanitation in informal settlements and rural communities. The still to be launched fifth National Development Plan states that despite government efforts to improve sanitation in marginalised areas through the construction of dry pit latrines, delivery has been extremely slow, with only 3 855 sanitation facilities constructed across all regions, excluding Khomas, since 2012. NDP5 aims to reduce the high rate of open or outside defecation from 71, 5% to 60% by 2020. The Namibian has also reported that people do not like the government-built latrines, preferring flush toilets, despite being in rural areas. Some preferred not to use the latrines because of the odour when it rains, while others consider them unhygienic and poorly maintained by communities. Speaking to The Namibian last week, Linyanti constituency councillor Cletius Sipapela said 1 480 pit latrines had been constructed in the Zambezi region between 2010 and 2016. “Very few use the toilets because of the smell. One can do a quick survey, and you will find that three-quarters of the people prefer to not use them,” he said, adding that when it rained, the toilets sometimes overflowed. Sipapela said the pit latrines have also become white elephants in some parts of his region as some people lived nomadic lifestyles, moving around from place to place. “I think proper research should be done to establish what kind of toilets need to be constructed in each region, taking into account the special needs of the people there. Also, special chemical sprays should be provided to kill waste,” said Sipapela. Mariental urban constituency councillor Nico Mungenga said people in his region still used the bush to relieve themselves, which he said contributed to health problems. Mungenga said the root of the problem was the fact that most people did not have decent housing. “Phase out the informal settlements first. Better housing is the way to address the issue of sanitation,” he stated. Melania Ndjago, councillor for the Karibib constituency said the elderly and the disabled needed sanitation the most, but budgets did not always allow it. “There should be a toilet per house. Otherwise, if it's per community, no one will take care of them,” she noted. Okatana constituency councillor Rosalia Shilenga echoed Ndjago's statement, saying the elderly and the disabled needed their own toilets. According to NDP5, the implementation of the sanitation programme has been slow due to poor accountability, poor coordination, and a lack of knowledge. However, NDP5 aims to stimulate national dialogue around sanitation, and get endorsement from key sectors to strengthen existing efforts. One of the objectives of the Harambee Prosperity Plan is the delivery of 50 000 pit latrines across the country.

2.11 Govt neglects providing sanitation The Namibian|17/03/2017 The European Union (EU) yesterday made its last payment of over N$100 million to the agriculture ministry for providing water and sanitation facilities across the country. Agriculture minister John

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Mutorwa received the money from EU ambassador to Namibia Jana Hybaskova in Windhoek. She said the payment was the last tranche from the N$430 million grant for the Namibian Water and Sanitation Support Programme (NWSSP). Hybaskova said the EU has been supporting the government to implement the programme since 2011, and that their primary objective was to provide potable water and adequate sanitation to people in rural areas as well as poor communities. She added that the directorate of water supply and sanitation coordination had submitted a report stating that during 2015, more than 89% of the rural population had access to potable water. Although this was a great achievement, the ministry had neglected their mandate to improve sanitation standards, she stressed. Hybaskova said the report stated that it took 12 years for an approximate 4% improvement of Namibia's sanitation. The report also showed that in 2015, only 18, 5% of the rural population had access to decent sanitation facilities. Furthermore, 30% of urban households do not have access to decent toilet facilities. “We would love to see more progress in the area of sanitation. Namibia could be scoring better in this area,” Hybaskova urged. The report also revealed that the percentage of urban households with potable water increased from 93% to 98, 3% from 2012 to 2015. Agriculture minister John Mutorwa said the ministry was able to achieve a lot with the funding from the EU. He said, among others, the construction of the Neckartal Dam in the //Karas region is 61% completed. The second phase of the Katima Mulilo-Ngoma water pipeline, which goes up to the Bukalo village, was also completed. Mutorwa added that the ministry was likewise able to supply water to communities in the Kavango East and West regions through the creation of the Shamvhura-Shamangorwa and Mupini pipelines. The sanitation area was not as simple as perceived, he noted. “Conscious efforts have been done, and that is how we are doing it. The first (step is) awareness and education so that the ownership aspect is looked into,” the minister said.

2.12 Unseemly conditions The Namibian|23/03/2017 Another rubbish dump rises amongst the shacks and on the doorstep of a small vendor of fruits, vegetables and bread on the fringes of Windhoek’s Okahandja Park informal settlement. Residents of the area say there are no garbage bins or refuse skips in the area, so rubbish heaps rising amongst the shacks is a common sight.

2.13 Fresh water, sanitation far better The Namibian Sun|23/03/2017 Water and agriculture minister John Mutorwa has commended the cooperation and financial aid offered to Namibia by the European Union for the country's water and sanitation programme, following the last disbursement of N$111 million. Receiving the funding, Mutorwa said: “The European Union has been, still is and hopefully may continue to be a reliable and dependable development partner. The overall policy objectives of the water supply and sanitation sector in our country are to improve the provision of water supply and sanitation services, to both urban and rural communities.” The European Union (EU) recently disbursed the last payment marking the end of a seven-year long working relationship with the Ministry of Water, Agriculture and Forestry. According to Mutorwa, the water and sanitation programme was supported by the European Commission which was established in January 2011 to support the functions of the water and sanitation sector. “The overall objective of the Namibia Water and Sanitation Programme (Nasawa) funding is to contribute to improved access to potable water and to appropriate means of sanitation.” An initial amount of €18 million (approximately N$240 million) which was doubled to €36 million (N$480 million) was given as financial aid to attain the goals of the programme, according to Mutorwa. “Namibia over the years has made commendable achievements in the water sector, where according to the 2013 Namibia Demographic and Health Survey Report, over 87% of the households in Namibia have access to improved water supply and include the Neckartal Dam project, phases one and two of

32 the Katima Mulilo-Ngoma water pipelines, while projects under implementation include the Ondangwa-Omuntele pipeline extension, the Iitapa-Okeeholongo water supply scheme and the Otjimbingwe rural water supply project. “Through Nasawa funding, the ministry has been able to increase access to drinking water and sanitation services. The EU's active and visible support and that of many others is still needed to solve the sanitation challenges in our country, and improved sanitation is achievable,” concluded Mutorwa. According to the EU delegation spokesperson, Susan- Marie Lewis, funding was disbursed in the form of support to the government programme

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3 Livelihoods and urban economy

3.1 Maize meal prices decrease Informante|03/03/2017 Struggling consumers have received some good news with the drop in price of Namibian staple foods, like maize and rice. Bokomo Namibia announced a price decrease on all wheat flour, bakery flour, bakery complete mix, pasta and maize meal products effective on 6 March 2017. The price decrease is due to the strengthening of the Namibian Dollar and improved raw material prices. Hubertus Hamm, CEO of Bokomo Namibia said, “If the good rains continue in the summer planting areas of South Africa, we expect further decreases in maize pricing towards the middle of this year.” Bokomo wheat flour price will decrease with 7%, Bokomo bakery flour and complete mix with 7%, pasta will decrease with 7% and Bokomo maize meal with 13%. Hamm says that consumers have already benefited from lower promotional pricing on Bokomo products during the past holiday period and the upcoming price decrease will provide further relief to consumers. Global wheat and maize prices have declined in US Dollar terms and the appreciation of the Namibian Dollar against all major currencies has resulted in a decrease in the landed Namibian Dollar price of our raw materials. The prices improved since the start of the rainy season. Average Maize prices have already fallen from N$3 789 per ton in November to N$3 388 per ton in January. Recently Namib Mills also cut their prices. Namib Mills CEO, Ian Collard said Top Score maize meal will be 12% cheaper, while Rice King will be 7% cheaper and the price of Sugar King will remain the same. However Bakpro baking flour, Pasta Polana and Meme Mahango will see a drop of 6% in price.

3.2 Omusati business expo launched The Namibian|07/03/2017 The first ever Omusati business expo was officially launched in Windhoek yesterday. The expo, which is being hosted by the Omusati Business Forum, will take place from 31 March 2017 until 9 April 2017. The expo is a brainchild of the Indigenous People's Business Forum (IPBF) in partnership with the Omusati Regional Council. “We decided on this time of the year so that the event does not clash with the Olufuko festival as the expo will be held at the Olufuko centre in Omusati region. We also want to be the first trade fair in the country this year,” said Chrisch Siririka, the chief executive officer of IPBF said during the launch. According to Siririka, Iran will be a guest exhibitor at the show and there will be a country profile to be presented by a special Iranian delegation which will be coming for that purpose. “The government has a bilateral trade agreement with Iran, and we just want to capitalise on that,” he explained. He said the opportunity for entreprenuers in Omusati to engage Iranian business people is one of the main highlights of the expo. He said businesses of interest to Iranians include technology and manufacturing, among others. Siririka said the organisers are targeting to have about 300 exhibitors taking part in the expo and added that there will be a fundraising gala dinner on 30 March, the day before the official opening of the expo. He added that the overall budget to host the expo will be about N$600 000. The chairperson of the expo, Albin Ilovu stated that Omusati has been among the regions that have been lagging behind in terms of consolidating SME developmental activities. “To this effect, as custodians of indigenous business ventures, we have been heavily engaged in stimulating the regional economy in the northern regions,” he stated. “As such, after lengthy deliberations in partnership with the regional council though the office of the governor and local stakeholders, we gave birth to the Omusati Business Expo,” he stated. The expo will be an annual event. The organising team will be travelling to Omusati region next week to familiarise themselves with the situation of the area surrounding the venue. Siririka also expressed disappointment that commercial farmers will not take part in this expo because of the the red line

34 that bars livestock from the south crossing over north of the line. “We are engaging government on this red line issue so that livestock exhibitors will be able to take part in next year's expo,” he said.

3.3 Lovingly Crafted The Namibian|15/03/2017 Engela Ortner (42) runs a traditional craftshop along the main road at Khorixas. Ortner sells handmade traditional accessories, dolls, gemstones and wood carvings, most of which she makes herself. The crafts are made mostly from natural materials, such as seeds, leather, stones, ostrich egg shells and wood, while some are made from recycled materials.

3.4 Proud Business Woman The Namibian|17/03/2017 Some teachers won't even be able to compete with me when it comes to bank balances,” says 35- year-old Natalia Nakanwe who operates her kapana business from under the bridge near Wernhil Park. Nakanwe is a mother of four. Her youngest child is one and the eldest is 17 years old and in Grade 11. “I am putting my three children through school with the money I get from this kapana.” She wakes up every morning at 03h00 to prepare the macaroni, potatoes, cabbage and dough for the vetkoek on the menu of her little informal eatery. By 05h30, she is already under the bridge and setting up to feed construction workers, bank tellers and shoppers who pass her stand daily. Although she did not complete her secondary education, Nakanwe says she never liked poverty or not being able to take care of herself so sitting at home and not doing anything was never an option. She first started selling food on the street in 2002 and says she has never looked back as she managed to build her home and a future for children. She adds that, for her, having a kapana stand is the same as running any other business and is as important as other business in society. It has taught her that as long as she has the ability and strength, she should not sit idle and wait for help to come to her. “For those who can go to school and succeed, I encourage them to do that. If you are failing at school and you have the physical ability, the kapana business is also an option,” she said.

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4 Environment & Human Health

4.1 Omusati and Ohangwena schools under water threat The Namibian|03/03/2017 Schools in the Ohangwena and Omusati regions might be temporarily closed if the heavy rainfalls that have continued over the past few days do not stop. The recent rainfall, which fell over the whole northern regions on Tuesday and Wednesday, caused some oshanas in these two regions to fill up completely. Some of the oshanas surround schools. At Okeeke in Omusati, pupils of the Oneeya Combined School had to wade through waters knee-deep on their way to and from school. This school is surrounded by two large pans, and some of the pupils said this always happens when there is good rain in a particular year. “It is always like this when we receive much rain. Even teachers have to park their cars at the cuca shops and go on foot to school,” said a Grade 8 pupil, who refused to give her name. Another pupil said luckily they have never encountered incidents of snake threats in the water when they cross the oshanas. Lamek Shapange, the education director in the region, said he could not say much on the water situation in his region as a meeting would be convened, where school inspectors would brief him on the situation in their respective circuits.” That is only when I will be able to give you more information,” he told The Namibian. In Ohangwena, several schools are also reported to have been affected by the water. Ohangwena education director Isak Hamatwi told The Namibian yesterday that the Oshitambi Combined School in the Ongha circuit is under water. He, however, said the flooding was caused by the newly-constructed Onhunho-Okatana road, which has closed the natural channel for water flow. He said Roads Authority personnel were notified, and would deal with the problem. Another school under threat is the Onghala Combined School in the same circuit, which is almost entirely surrounded by water. Hamatwi said when schools are under a water threat, the only solution is to close them until the water subsides.

4.2 Oshakati stunned by floods The Namibian Sun|03/03/2017 With the rainy season still in the early stages the flood-prone town of Oshakati is yet again busy with the relocation of people to higher ground following heavy rain that has left some areas flooded. While the majority of the informal settlements are flooded, houses at Ehenye constructed under the Mass Housing programme are also flooded, which has angered the home owners who want the council to step up and handle the situation with urgency. When Namibian Sun visited Ehenye yesterday one could observe mini islands where some houses were surrounded by rainwater forcing desperate home owners to purchase sand from private companies, which they say is a costly exercise. Frustrated home owner Vistorina Ngolongo described the situation as very bad, saying that the flooding has become a burden for her. Ngolongo said she had to instruct her son not to go to school yesterday in order to monitor the situation because the water running through the culverts metres from her home was flowing from the other side of the road straight into her yard. “I was very happy to have received the house, but I am not feeling well about the water which has trapped my house. I even had to park my car somewhere else because I cannot enter my house,” she said. “If the council can assist us with sand or close the culverts we will be happy because this situation is unacceptable.” Oshakati is now faced with a scarcity of higher ground where they can move affected people to. Ekuku, the area where people used to be relocated to, has been developed and houses were built there. Oshakati mayor Angelus Iyambo said the council was taking the plight of the people very seriously. He said some people from the Oshoopala and Oneshila informal settlements had been relocated to a fenced area in Ekuku, but it was not large enough to accommodate them all. Iyambo could not say how many people had been relocated so far, saying the council was still assessing the situation. “We have started relocating people to Ekuku but we are still looking for other optional 36 places where we can relocate the people. The people should know that the council is busy and we are trying our level best to handle the issue,” Iyambo said. When asked about the flooding at Ehenye caused along the way where the culverts were constructed, Iyambo said the council was not to blame as the developer, which is the National Housing Enterprise (NHE), should have ensured that the area was safe. Iyambo said the council was only responsible for allocating the land and it was the duty of the developer to ensure that this kind of thing did not happen. He said the council and the NHE were looking at ways of addressing the issue amicably.

4.3 Oshakati flooded Informante|03/03/2017 Streets were momentarily transformed into fast-flowing rivulets while a number of businesses and residential plots were covered by rainwater. “I have lived in this house for many years now, but it was never flooded, but today there is water everywhere,” said a resident of Oshakati’s White Houses. “Yes, yes! We desperately needed rain, but this is too much. We now pray that the rain stop even if only for a few days, so that we can get our lives in order again,” said Rachel Kashopola of Uupindi location. Residents of Oshakati West and the informal settlements could be seen either moving their belongings out of their flooded houses or busy on top of their houses trying to stop roof leakages, or building mini dikes around their dwellings. Others were merely standing around and watching hopelessly. Omatando is said to be worst hit by the floods with one affected resident from Omatando 1, in Ongwediva area, Maria Nghidishige saying, “Our rooms are full of water, and we are also not able to help people that went to work as their houses are locked. Also I lost all my documents and other important belongings and don’t have a place to sleep tonight.” The Oshakati Town Council in cooperation with central government, has some years ago started implementing a flood-mitigation plan that focus on flood water flowing into town from the North. The plan, fully funded by government, includes building a dike around the town to divert flood water around the town. It includes building at least three bridges at Oshoopala, Okatana and Onendongo and deepening waterways to ensure flood water flows freely past the town to the south. The flood mitigation plan, whose implementation started in 2014, did not address the issue of flooding as result of heavy rains, but made provision for the relocation of residents of flood-prone settlements, but this was not yet done. Meanwhile, sources in southern Angola have reported torrential rains since the weekend. Reports also suggest that swamps in the Cuvelai flood system near Ondjiva are now overflowing, making floods a real possibility this year.

4.4 Floods shut down 64 Omusati schools The Namibian|10/03/2017 Sixty-four schools have been closed in the Omusati region, and 19 309 pupils have been sent home because of the floods. Omusati regional governor Erginus Endjala told The Namibian yesterday that the decision to close the schools was in the interest of teachers, pupils and other staff. “We saw it necessary to close them so that lives are protected,” he said, adding that the region's disaster risk management committee met yesterday to study reports from hospitals, schools and individuals regarding the situation. “We have to make recommendations to the Office of the Prime Minister which deals with disasters in the country,” he stated. Endjala noted that once the Office of the Prime Minister has received the report, it will assess the situation before any assistance funds are released. According to him, people should prepare for the worst in the coming days. “We checked with meteorological experts in southern Angola, and they said there is another wave coming in the next few days,” the governor stated. Angolan authorities have warned that the sluice gates of the Gove Dam, 75km south of Huambo in Huambo province and one of the largest dams in that country, have been opened. The opening of the Gove gates mean the water is expected to flood the Kunene River, and also southern Angola and parts of northern Namibia such as Omusati, Ohangwena and parts of Oshana. “We are expecting a big wave that will probably arrive between Saturday and Monday,” 37

Endjala reiterated. He appealed to the people of Omusati who find themselves under the threat of the flood to report to their regional councillors or headmen. “The people should report to their councillors if they are under threat and need assistance. Village headmen should also assist people to report their predicament to regional councillors. “They do not necessarily need to physically go there, but can just take the phone numbers and call,” he said, warning especially the elderly and children to be careful where they go to avoid drowning.

4.5 Govt warns of more floods The Namibian|14/03/2017 The agriculture ministry last week warned members of the public in the northern regions that a bigger wave of floods was expected in the Omusati, Ohangwena and Oshana regions. According to the ministry, this is due to floods being experienced in parts of southern Angola following heavy rains in the Cuvelai basin. “The flood situation in the central northern area of Namibia has reached alarming levels, and citizens are advised to take precautionary measures,” the ministry said, adding that the magnitude of the floods being expected mirrors that of 2011. The Angolan national department of water reported heavy rains and flooding at Ondjiva on 8 and 9 March, and the water in the Cuvelai channel has started rising. The ministry has warned people not to cross rivers or flooded places to avoid the loss of lives. Rain received in parts of southern Angola and northern Namibia since the beginning of the year has resulted in flooding in parts of the Omusati region in the past two weeks. Although only Omusati is currently experiencing floods, Oshana, Ohangwena and parts of Oshikoto are expected to be flooded soon if heavy rains continue to fall in southern Angola as forecast by meteorological services in both countries. The situation is going to be made worse by the opening of the sluice gates of the Gove Dam last week. Water from the Gove Dam is expected to flood the Kunene River, which in turn will flood parts of southern Angola and the Oshana, Omusati, Ohangwena regions, as well as parts of Oshikoto. People in Kunene, the two Kavangos and Zambezi, are also urged to be on high alert for possible flooding. The water in the oshanas in the Omusati region have been rising since last week, an indication that more water from Angola has been flowing into Namibia. The water flooded houses and schools, and destroyed gravel roads in the Omusati region last week. No flood-related death has been reported so far.

4.6 Destroyed Home The Namibian|16/03/2017 A family of five living in the informal settlement of Havana, Katutura, have begun the process of rebuilding their home after their shack was destroyed by flooding on Monday night. The family lost all their furniture and documents in the flood and requesting assistance to rebuild their shack. Here, Elisabeth Kolman stands in front of her destroyed shack.

4.7 Ohangwena under water The Namibian| 20/03/2017 Residents of flood-prone areas of the Ohangwena region should brace for the worst after the region was hit by a big surge of floodwater last Thursday. The impact of the surge was already being felt in the region as many houses in the Onamhinda, Odibo and Engela villages have been flooded and affected residents relocated to temporary shelters at Omafo by the Ohangwena regional council and the Namibia Red Cross Society (NRCS). The floodwaters also wreaked havoc at Oshikango's Katwitwi location, with shacks under water and many informal businesses being shut. Traders crossing into Namibia from Angola had to wade through waters knee or waist-high at some places in order to reach Oshikango to sell their goods, such as cooking oil, rice, fruits, vegetables, wood, mahangu and fuel. “It's very bad. We read in the newpapers and heard over the radio that the floods might not be that bad but things are changing now,” said Oshikango resident Veronica Fillipus, whose shack was

38 flooded. Fillipus now stays with a friend on the other side of the Katwitwi location. Victoria Festus of Onamhinda village said her house was also flooded. She said she lost chickens, goats and even dogs that drowned. All affected people spoken to have suffered substantial damage to personal property and belongings. Many are now housed at a shelter of the Ohangwena Regional Council run by the Namibia Red Cross Society (NRCS). “I have lost everything including food. The mahangu storage facility is soaked and we do not know how we are going to survive,” Festus lamented. She said about 80% of homesteads in her village were flooded and people had lost much property and small livestock. Tangeni Haukena, NRCS district coordinator for Engela, said the Ohangwena regional council had erected four tents for the flood victims. At the same time, those given shelter have been provided with water purification powder and jerrycans for water collection. However, they have not been given blankets, mattresses or mosquito nets and have to sleep on the ground. “At the moment there is no food here although many of the people lost their food in the flood,” he said. Haukena also said although 130 shacks in the Katwitwi location were flooded, no one from the location was accommodated at the shelter. “The people think that the shelter is far. They do not want to walk in the morning to conduct their business and walk back at night again. They want to be closer to their businesses. They also complained that muggers might attack them,” he explained. He said during the 2011 floods some people dismantled other people's shacks and stole the metal sheets while the owners were being sheltered. Hydrologist Leonard Hango told The Namibian yesterday that the floodwater surge that hit Ohangwena was a result of the overflowing Kunene River. “There is nothing like controlling the flow of the river by opening or closing gates (as the case with dams). The river is overflowing, that is why the water is coming,” he stated. Ohangwena constituency councillor Johannes Hakanyome told The Namibian yesterday that the region's disaster management committee was well prepared to assist the flood victims. “The Red Cross will provide mosquito nets and other equipment to the people. The regional council will provide food while the health ministry will provide healthcare to the affected people,” he stated. Hakanyome added that help centres have been established in the affected constituencies where tents would be erected and the affected people sheltered. He said the health ministry would be providing a helicopter for use during operations to reach places inaccessible by vehicles. He advised people affected by the floods to make their way to the shelter areas. “We have noted some people brought to the centers return to their flooded houses the following day. This is very dangerous. We do not want to lose any lives. People must stay where it is safe,” he said. He also encouraged parents to take turns to escort children to school.

4.8 Rundu weighed down by waste Republikein|23/03/2017 Although the Rundu Town Council is doing its best to keep the town clean, waste management has become one of its biggest challenges. Piles of boxes, bottles and other waste materials are scattered around the town and the roads are also full of potholes. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Rundu Town Council, Romanus Haironga, said although the responsibility of refuse collection lies with his institution, the services were outsourced to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to collect refuse on its behalf. Some of these contractors seem to be struggling to fulfil their contractual• obligations, Haironga said. He stated that although the contractors are of help to them, residents should also try to work with the council and the refuse removal companies to keep the town clean. He said residents contribute to the problem since some of them dispose of their waste and other materials in areas not designated as dump sites. “Some residents dump waste such as building rubble and branches in front of their houses, expecting council to remove the waste,” said Haironga. He explained that this type of refuse is not the council's responsibility, but an agreement could be made for it to be done for a fee and depending on the quantity to be collected. One of the contractors, Ruben Kudumo, told this agency his company collects refuse in the Queenspark residential area, where there is some cooperation from residents. The only challenge is disposing of the refuse at the town's dump site some five kilometres away, which he said is not properly managed as his trucks'

39 tyres are damaged by the broken bottles strewn all over the site. “It is just the dump site which is not in a good state,” he said. Another contractor, who requested anonymity, said there are challenges, but instead called on the residents of the town and the business community to work together alongside the council towards producing a clean town. “The councillors should start educating residents on the benefits of having a clean town,” he said. Asked about allegations of mis•management of the dumping site, Haironga said the council hopes to address the matter with a proposed waste management• programme. He said at the moment there is an educational programme in place where councillors educate the community on keeping the town clean when they host community meetings. “These programmes also target schools to see how we can change people's mentality,” he said.

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