New Rundu council offices plan delayed indefinitely

Planned construction of new Rundu Town Council headquarters has suffered a major setback, with the line ministry confirming that the project is neither funded nor scheduled for implementation in the near future.This follows 2025 reports by the Namibia Press Agency that the council intended to begin construction during the 2025/26 financial year, citing the poor condition of its current offices.Council officials had previously stated that the project, estimated at approximately N$100 million over several phases, would commence once funding was secured from central government.Wilhelmine Shivute, the executive director at the urban and rural development ministry, however, this week said she is not aware of any official announcement regarding the project.“I am not sure as to which institution you are referring to that announced the project last year. It was definitely not the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development,” she said.She confirmed that funding is currently unavailable despite the acknowledged need.“It is true that despite the need, there are no funds to undertake this project at the moment. This project will have to wait until such time that the ministry has completed its ongoing commitments and when funds are available for the project to commence,” Shivute said.She added that the project has no place on the immediate fiscal horizon and is not budgeted for in either the current or the 2026/27 financial year.The ministry said the funding request submitted by the council remains at an early stage of appraisal.Shivute pointed to broader structural and financial pressures facing the ministry, which has a "huge mandate".The ministry is responsible for funding capital projects for not only local authorities, but also regional councils and providing financial support to traditional authorities, Shivute explained.“As such, the ministry has to critically prioritise and embark on projects in a systematic manner,” she added.She added that the ministry’s overall budget has been "drastically reduced", forcing them to implement fewer projects.Instead, the ministry is focused on funding more critical projects, including servicing projects for the Rundu Town Council.Working conditions deemed unfitSpeaking to Namibian Sun in March, town council CEO Olavi Nathanael said the headquarters project has been in development for several years, with planning processes already completed and submissions made to government.Council was requested to submit a project identification form and concept note for the office building to the line ministry, which was done, with the estimated cost placed at almost N$100 million.However, he said progress stalled after initial engagements with the responsible ministry.“We followed up with the ministry and said, 'Now what?' And they kept quiet,” he claimed.“As we speak now, even if you call the ministry, no one is going to say anything about it.”He also raised concerns about the condition of the council’s current working environment, describing the buildings as unsuitable for proper administration.“If I take my health inspectors, they will tell us these are not habitable,” Nathanael said. “It is very demoralising… you have confidential information in compromised structures.”

New Rundu council offices plan delayed indefinitely

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Namibian Sun 2026-04-17

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New Rundu council offices plan delayed indefinitely

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Namibian Sun 2026-04-17

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