EDITORIAL: 5 000 houses in 12 months?

The recent announcement that 5 000 houses will be built in the Khomas Region within a single year is either a stroke of visionary brilliance – or a serious misreading of the realities on the ground.

Governor Sam Nujoma’s pledge might stir hope, but in a country where housing delivery has limped along for years, such grand targets beg for scrutiny. One can’t help but wonder: was it a slip of the tongue? Did he perhaps mean 500, not 5 000?

Let’s do the maths – and factor in the reality. Namibia’s procurement processes are notoriously sluggish. Before a single brick is laid, tenders must be floated, bids evaluated and appeals entertained. And appeals, as we know, can drag on endlessly. By the time the legal dust settles, the year may be over, and the promise reduced to a soundbite from a forgotten press release.

Then there’s the land itself. Identifying it, securing it, and – crucially – servicing it with roads, water and electricity takes time. Even under ideal conditions, experts estimate this takes at least six months. That’s half the project timeline gone before the first trench is dug.

In light of these hurdles, if Khomas manages to deliver even half of this promise – 2 500 houses – it would be nothing short of miraculous. And we would be the first to applaud such a feat.

But here’s the heart of the matter: Housing is not a campaign slogan. Lofty pronouncements that collapse under the weight of reality only deepen public mistrust.

We are rooting for the new president and her government. We have said it before: they deserve our support. But support must be anchored in accountability – and plans must be rooted in reality, not fantasy.