2 400 families wait for basic services in Grootfontein

Some 2 399 households in Grootfontein's two informal settlements live in shacks, struggle to access fresh water, sanitation and electricity and lack secure land tenure, the municipality has told parliament.In a submission to parliament's standing committee on urban and rural development and land reform on Wednesday, the municipality said the town's two informal settlements, Blikkies and Kap en Bou, have grown at a rapid pace.The municipality said it has already planned and surveyed 3 000 residential erven for low-income residents to address the mushrooming settlements.“Land grabbing” and “limited access to basic services (water, sanitation, electricity)” are among key challenges, alongside a “lack of tenure security for residents”.The municipality listed two phases of upgrading for the Reception Area and Blikkies informal settlements at N$26.58 million and N$81.99 million, respectively, putting the combined requirement at about N$108.6 million.The council is also seeking financial assistance from the urban and rural development ministry to formalise the areas.At Kap en Bou, the municipality has partnered with the Namibia Housing Action Group and Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia under a memorandum of agreement to upgrade the settlement.The settlement has been profiled and enumerated, while the area has been planned and surveyed by a private surveyor.However, electrification that had started at Kap en Bou was later put on hold.Fast-track upgradesThe council has resolved to start moving residents onto their designated erven and to introduce the flexible land tenure system to address tenure insecurity.It plans to "fast-track the realignment process for Kap en Bou Informal Settlement" and to strengthen partnerships with development partners for technical and financial support.The municipality has relocated residents from single quarters into 65 social houses built under the Build Together Programme.Remaining single quarters residents have received land allocation letters and will move once realignment at the Reception Area is complete.A further 200 social houses are planned under a China-funded housing project.The municipality has identified and reserved 200 fully serviced erven in Omulunga Extensions 7 and 8 for the project.

2 400 families wait for basic services in Grootfontein

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-09

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2 400 families wait for basic services in Grootfontein

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-09

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