Katwitwi Build Together beneficiaries decry ‘cramped’ homes

Some beneficiaries of the National Build Together Housing Programme in Katwitwi settlement in Kavango West say their tiny and allegedly poorly designed homes fall short of expectations.Beneficiaries told Namibian Sun they expected more spacious homes built with higher-quality materials.The Kavango West Regional Council, however, argues that the houses meet the programme’s prescribed standards and are intended as starter homes that occupants can expand over time.Anton Julia (32) told Namibian Sun last week that the single-room houses don't meet basic living needs, with the sleeping area, toilet and kitchen sharing the same limited space.Julia said the room was so small that even fitting a bed comfortably was a challenge.“It’s a single room where there’s a bed, where there’s a toilet, it’s where there’s a kitchen, it’s cramped,” she said.Julia said beneficiaries had expected more spacious homes built with higher-quality bricks but were disappointed when the contractor used concrete blocks and zinc sheets for roofing instead.“I feel really bad,” she said. “That’s not really a house – even security guards have better houses,” she claimed.Expected betterBeneficiaries had raised their concerns with their constituency councillor, she said, who allegedly advised them to approach the contractor.Julia said they were informed during their engagement with the contractor that the building specifications had already been agreed upon.Julia said construction began last year, with some houses completed in March and May this year. She said beneficiaries were required to make payments when construction began.Julia said each household pays N$620 per month over 20 years, amounting to N$148 800 over the repayment period if the instalments remain unchanged.Payments are made into a Standard Bank account, with receipts submitted to the regional council office.Esther Kandetu, whose father is also a beneficiary, said: “We appreciate the initiative, but they could have used better materials and made the rooms more spacious. We did not know the houses would turn out like this.”Baseline standardsThe Kavango West Regional Council, which implements the programme, said it facilitated applications through its Katwitwi settlement office and appointed a contractor through a tender process.Egidius Nambara, the council’s director of planning and development, told Namibian Sun the houses were constructed in accordance with the National Build Together Programme’s implementation guidelines, which outline eligibility criteria, application procedures, repayment arrangements and standard house types and sizes.He said beneficiaries had been consulted on how the programme operates, including the types of houses to be constructed.“All beneficiaries agreed and signed,” Nambara said.He defended the use of concrete blocks, saying they were commonly used in low-cost housing projects across Namibia because they were cheaper than super bricks and helped keep construction costs down.“The use of blocks is nothing new under the low-cost housing programmes in Namibia. It is not only in Katwitwi settlement where houses have been constructed with blocks,” he said, adding that the programme encourages the use of cheaper materials to keep costs low.Nambara explained that the houses were intended to provide basic shelter that beneficiaries could extend over time to suit their needs.“The type of houses constructed are meant for beneficiaries to have a shelter to start with and then extend their houses themselves with time to suit their needs,” he said.‘Nothing that we can do’Mpungu constituency councillor Titus Kandjimi Shiudifonya said the local council was also unhappy with the construction but attributed the specifications to the urban and rural development ministry“Even us, this council, we have been there, and we are not happy with the construction, but we were told by the technocrat that this is the standard in the ministry, there is nothing that we can do,” he told Namibian Sun.Shiudifonya said the specifications applied across the country, citing Bukalo Village Council as another area where similar standards were applied.“The specification is across the board. If you go even to Bukalo Village Council, that is the standard that the ministry has provided,” he said.Shiudifonya said council members had visited the houses but were told by ministry officials that the structures complied with the prescribed standards.

Katwitwi Build Together beneficiaries decry ‘cramped’ homes

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-23

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Katwitwi Build Together beneficiaries decry ‘cramped’ homes

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-23

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