Okongo homeowners still paying for unoccupied houses

More than a year after residents of Okongo’s Block 103 housing development complained about paying mortgages for homes they could not occupy, homeowners say they are still paying monthly instalments while also renting elsewhere, as the houses lack essential municipal services.

Homeowners say their continued payments for unoccupied homes come amid repeated assurances that the project is nearing completion.

The development has become the centre of a dispute involving First National Bank (FNB) Namibia, the Okongo Village Council and developer OLC Properties CC.

Previously, residents accused the parties involved of allowing houses to be financed and transferred before water, electricity and sewerage infrastructure had been completed.

This week, affected homeowner Nicolas Richard said owners are growing increasingly frustrated as they continue to wait for the houses to become habitable.

“Services are apparently not yet done. They say they are busy with it, but the houses are still not occupied. We don’t know when. People are paying rent and at the same time money is being deducted for houses they are not living in,” he said.

Richard added that some beneficiaries who are teachers have lost bush allowances, making life even more difficult despite still not being able to occupy the houses.

“We seriously have no more words to say,” he said.

A little more patience is advised

However, both the village council and FNB Namibia say significant progress has been made and that the long-running saga may finally be nearing an end.

Okongo Village Council chief executive officer Jackson Muma said the council has engaged the affected residents and that arrangements were made with the bank while outstanding works are being completed.

“We have spoken to residents and they indicated that the bank has also made some arrangements while the project is being completed,” Muma said.

He said the installation of sewerage, water and electricity infrastructure is expected to be completed by the end of June.

Nearly there

FNB Namibia’s communications manager, Kirsty Watermeyer echoed the council’s optimism, saying a recent site report showed substantial progress.

“As of Monday it was reported to us that the progress on site is very satisfactory and much of the services are now installed,” Watermeyer told Namibian Sun.

She said approximately 95% of the sewerage infrastructure has been completed, all water pipes have been installed and electricity infrastructure is at an advanced stage.

According to information provided to the bank by council officials, the delays were largely caused by the late payment of contractor invoices by the relevant line ministry, which affected the completion of municipal services.

Watermeyer said the bank expects the remaining work to be completed this month, after which the development can be formally handed over to the village council.

“You will recall that this breakdown originated when we were originally provided a completion certificate that stated that the services were completed before they were,” she added.