Okahandja formalises long-standing Oshetu settlement

**Auleria Wakudumo **

Residents of one of Okahandja’s oldest informal settlements are moving towards formal land ownership following the proclamation of Oshetu Proper, Oshetu 1 and Oshetu 2 as townships this year.

This is highlighted in a presentation by Okahandja municipality to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban and Rural Development and Land Reform.

The presentation stated that the three Oshetu areas have reached the stage of land sales and individual registrations.

The development marks progress in the municipality’s efforts to formalise informal settlements and create opportunities for residents to secure residential land within the town’s formal planning framework.

Okahandja municipality reported that most, if not all, residential plots in the areas were already occupied, highlighting the importance of regularising existing settlements rather than focusing only on developing new residential areas.

The progress comes as Okahandja faces growing pressure to provide affordable residential land and housing for its expanding population.

The municipality identified Ekunde, Oshetu, Five Rand and Ekunde Proper among the informal settlement areas within its jurisdiction.

The growth of these settlements has placed pressure on the municipality to provide planned residential areas and extend basic services to communities.

The formalisation of Oshetu forms part of wider efforts to address informal settlement growth through land planning, community participation and partnerships with other institutions.

The municipality said it was working with government ministries, developers, community organisations and other partners to improve land delivery.

In Ekunde, settlement upgrading began in November 2022 with profiling, enumeration, settlement mapping and community consultations.

The process includes planning studios and layouts informed by residents, with the aim of improving tenure security, enabling future service provision and integrating the settlement into the formal town structure.

The municipality is also working with the Namibia University of Science and Technology, the Namibia Housing Action Group and the Shack Dwellers Foundation on participatory mapping and settlement planning.

Meanwhile, Extensions 6, 8 and 9 have made substantial progress, with services and houses largely completed, although some roads remain outstanding.

Despite the progress in Oshetu, the municipality faces significant financial and technical obstacles in extending formal services to informal settlements.

The presentation identifies the high cost of installing water, sewerage, roads, electricity and stormwater infrastructure as one of the main barriers to timely land delivery.

Ekunde has a reported population of 10 731 and approximately 5 000 plots, the municipality estimates that about N$480 million is needed for service installations.

The figure illustrates the scale of investment required to transform established informal settlements into serviced residential neighbourhoods.

The municipality also reported that financial constraints have left it with few fully serviced residential plots, mostly in pockets of the town and older townships.

Other proposed residential developments are progressing through planning and approval processes but cannot be fully allocated for housing until the necessary services are provided.

The report highlighted that Veddersdal Extensions 2 have estimated infrastructure costs of approximately N$24.85 million and N$23.87 million, respectively.

They said the costs place pressure on municipal resources and make partnerships with government, financiers and private developers important for accelerating housing delivery.

The municipality further identified rising demand, lengthy land-delivery processes, informal occupation of land and low or irregular household incomes as challenges affecting its work.

The municipality has called for a coordinated approach involving government, financiers, developers, and communities.

It has also identified the need for technical assistance in spatial planning, surveying, engineering, environmental assessments, and settlement upgrading.

The presentation outlined priorities such as dedicated funding for upgrading and investment in bulk infrastructure.

The municipality proposes prioritising infrastructure investment to support the formalisation of Oshetu, followed by Ekunde.

It has also highlighted the need for affordable housing models, including incremental housing, rental options, and rent-to-buy arrangements to help households that cannot immediately afford conventional housing.

The proposed revival of the Building Together programme in Ekunde Extensions 4 and 5 is another initiative aimed at supporting lower-income households through incremental housing and community participation.

The National Housing Enterprise has also been identified as a partner in a proposed initiative involving 150 plots in Extension 10 for lower-income households.

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