Green light for N$1b township

The City of Windhoek has conditionally approved the establishment of a new upmarket township in the Klein Windhoek townlands, involving President Hage Geingob, his family and Chinese tycoon Jack Huang.

The development envisages more than 400 apartments and other amenities worth over N$1 billion.

The project has, however, been scaled down since initial plans were submitted to the City last year.





The land is situated alongside the road linking Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport.

The city council conditionally approved the construction as well as the layout of the township on Portion 105 of the Klein Windhoek townlands.

One of the conditions for approval is that a complete groundwater (geohydrology) study must be submitted to the City due to the environmental sensitivity and because the proposed development is located within the Windhoek Aquifer management area.

The application, including the layout design of the development, was submitted by Urban Dynamics Town and Regional Planners on behalf of African Sunrise Investment Group.

The Dr Hage Geingob Family Trust owns 20% in African Sunrise Investment. The president is one of a number of family beneficiaries of this trust.

President Geingob's ex-wife Loini also owns 20% of African Sunrise Investment, while the remaining 60% belongs to Huang.

Huang is awaiting trial on charges of tax evasion, fraud and money laundering in Namibia.



Amended layout

The initial application had been received by the City in April 2016, but after a technical assessment it required a resubmission of an amended township layout by the developers.

The resubmission asked approval for the establishment of the township and its layout, as well as zero endowment in view of the extent of bulk infrastructure to be constructed by the developer.

According to council documents, the land covers about 40 hectares and is currently zoned as “undetermined”.

The layout plan indicates that the development will consist of 141 erven with 438 units.

This was reduced from the previous planned 151 erven with a total of 424 units proposed.

The previous layout proposed that the 151 plots be used as follows: 164 duplex apartments, 88 townhouses, 140 flats, 24 villas, three plots for businesses and one plot for a crèche.

Two big mansions on a 10 000-square-metre [one hectare] plot were also planned.

According to the new layout, 67 erven will be allocated for the development of 134 duplex units, while 29 erven have been earmarked for large villas and mansions which will accommodate 29 units.

Terraced houses are to be developed on 25 erven and it is anticipated that it will be able to accommodate 121 units, while another 10 erven are earmarked to accommodate about 150 flats.

Five public open spaces, two business erven, one office plot and a crèche are also planned.

The layout will ultimately accommodate 438 units.

Although the council approved the establishment and the layout of the proposed township, it rejected the application by the developers to pay a zero endowment fee or deposit on bulk infrastructure for construction.

“The waiving of the endowment fee was not supported because the development is private and no services will be transferred to the council. The endowment fee should only be waived should bulk infrastructure provide spare capacity over and above the need for development,” according to the documents.

The council recommended that an endowment fee must be paid in accordance with the Township and Division of Land Ordinance.

“Although the development is needed and desirable, note should be taken that it is situated in an area that is environmentally sensitive for development. Due to this fact all necessary studies such as the Geohydrology Study and the Environmental Management Plan needed to determine the potential environment impacts must be undertaken to the satisfaction of the city,” according to the council.

According to the council, the development is situated within the Windhoek Aquifer zone and strict requirements must be met for land uses with underground water pollution to ensure proper protection of the aquifer.



Water study

The council said a geohydrology study must be submitted and until that time only conditional approval would be granted until the study is provided to the satisfaction of the Environment and Bulk Water and Waste Water Divisions of the City.

According to the documents, problems regarding road planning, design and traffic flow have also been addressed in the new layout, but the City has made a handful of recommendations regarding road planning, electricity and storm water as well as bulk water and waste services.

It also said that the proposed development is subjected to large subdivision requirements and therefore development agreements have to be signed between the developer and the City of Windhoek.

It added that the City's strategic executive: infrastructure water and technical services must be authorised to make necessary amendments to the layout to facilitate the provision of services.

The environment ministry recently approved the first phase of the township development.

The second phase, which includes plans to build a hotel near the new township development, was blocked by the ministry.

Geo Pollution Technologies, an environmental firm representing African Sunrise Investment (Pty) Ltd, applied to the environment ministry last year for approval to build the development consisting of two phases.

The ministry rejected the application to build phase two because the area is considered environmentally sensitive.

The second phase was to include 15 residential plots, 84 duplex apartments, eight plots for public open spaces and one hotel, which would have been built on land measuring around five hectares.