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 architect students in the UK 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 1 Index 1 URBAN PLANNING, LAND AND HOUSING ..............................................................................................4 1.1 Govt reviews housing report .............................................................................................................. 4 1.2 Big developments coming .................................................................................................................. 5 1.3 Understanding NDP5 ... Ambitiously pragmatic or wishful thinking? ................................................... 5 1.4 GIPF tackles Harambee housing, land delivery.................................................................................... 7 1.5 2 000 houses unoccupied................................................................................................................... 8 1.6 Eerste huise op Osona oorhandig ....................................................................................................... 9 1.7 Wrong date delays demolition of illegal shack .................................................................................... 9 1.8 Swakop tables N$115m budget ........................................................................................................ 10 1.9 Eenhana to develop 6 500 plots by 2020 .......................................................................................... 10 1.10 Power Oyeno proposes low-cost houses for Swakop .................................................................... 11 1.11 The homeless illegally occupy govt houses ................................................................................... 12 1.12 SDFN to pay N$8.7 million for erven ............................................................................................. 13 1.13 N$100m to pay out farmers ......................................................................................................... 13 1.14 City halts N$200m projects .......................................................................................................... 14 1.15 Teiken régte armes: Miljarde kan beter benut word ..................................................................... 15 1.16 200 try to grab Otjomuise land ..................................................................................................... 16 1.17 Oshakati humiliates Windhoek on land delivery ........................................................................... 16 1.18 No place to call home .................................................................................................................. 17 1.19 Windhoek CBD picks up ............................................................................................................... 18 1.20 Mayor wants land sale moratorium lifted ..................................................................................... 18 1.21 McLeod-Katjirua warns of land, housing instability ....................................................................... 19 1.22 Usakos dreams big ....................................................................................................................... 19 1.23 Approval sought for Farm 37 to be fast-tracked ............................................................................ 20 1.24 Corruption and Rent Control – Killing the Private Sector… slowly .................................................. 21 1.25 Hardap governor focuses on achievements, challenges ................................................................ 22 1.26 Shacks proliferate among Keetmanshoop mass houses ................................................................ 23 1.27 Omaruru savings scheme starts constructing houses .................................................................... 24 1.28 Only 1 800 mass houses delivered ................................................................................................ 24 1.29 !Goab.com settlement draws a crowd .......................................................................................... 25 2 URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES ............................................................................................ 26 2.1 Walvis sewage over-burdened ......................................................................................................... 26 2.2 Ondangwa loses planned hospital .................................................................................................... 27 2.3 Electricity unreliability worries Keetmans residents .......................................................................... 27 2.4 Oshakati contracts Nexus to divert water ......................................................................................... 28 2.5 Shaningwa vows to enhance service delivery ................................................................................... 28 2.6 Zambezi on point with service delivery ............................................................................................ 29 2.7 Karasburg faces water cut-off .......................................................................................................... 29 2.8 Oshikoto tackling water problems .................................................................................................... 30 2.9 Keetmanshoop left with N$15m NamPower debt ............................................................................ 30 2.10 Ondangwa prevails ...................................................................................................................... 31 2 3 LIVELIHOODS AND URBAN ECONOMY ................................................................................................ 33 3.1 Councillor pleads for the poor .......................................................................................................... 33 3.2 Windhoek to upgrade existing markets – Governor .......................................................................... 34 3.3 Northern meat vendors congest roadside ........................................................................................ 34 3.4 City plans to help poor manage debts .............................................................................................. 35 4 ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH ................................................................................................ 37 4.1 Windhoekers should be careful with fires – CoW ............................................................................. 37 3 1 Urban Planning, Land and Housing 1.1 Govt reviews housing report The Namibian|05/06/2017 Government is reviewing a report compiled by experts who have suggested the setting up of a national housing fund and transferring state-owned houses to the National Housing Enterprise. The experts from the Integrated Land Management Institute at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust)