Keetmans: 3 000 people need houses

Nearly 3 000 people are in need of housing at Keetmanshoop, with between 85% and 90% of them in the low-income segment.

According to the economic development senior manager at the Keetmanshoop municipality, Jegg Christiaan, the low-income segment in the town is defined as people who earn less than N$5 000 per month, unbanked individuals and those who are unemployed.

Residents in the low income segment cannot afford the plots that are available in the Westdene residential area which are fully serviced, Christiaan said. The municipality will have to service land and build houses which those in the low-income segment can afford. The plots in the Westdene residential area are 1 000 square metres and cost between N$180 000 and N$200 000. In 2018, the municipality allocated N$15 million for the servicing of the 110 plots. According to Christiaan, 60 of the 110 plots are still available.



Tseiblaagte

The municipality has registered about 600 households in the Tseiblaagte extension 7 and 9 informal settlements, which the municipality is busying formalising.

Once the formalisation process is completed, the 600 households will be able to purchase plots in the informal settlements.

“We want people to have access to roads and not live in the crowded way they are living now. Only those who are registered will however be able to buy the plots. We want to offer our services to this people. Management with the help of politicians should ensure that no new informal settlement is established once we have formalised the current ones,” Christiaan said. The municipality plans to establish a logistics park, a new dumpsite and a new cemetery, Christiaan said. The existing cemetery will be filled to capacity by early 2021. - Nampa