Khomas Governor Sam Nujoma has warned that land shortages, bureaucratic procurement processes and lengthy township establishment procedures are slowing housing delivery in the region, despite a N$750 million government commitment to upgrade and formalise informal settlements.
Nujoma said implementation of the informal settlements upgrading programme had been delayed by coordination challenges between the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development and the City of Windhoek, even after the Office of the Prime Minister tasked his office with coordinating the implementation plan.
He said housing delivery continued to face multiple structural constraints, including limited land availability, high land costs, ageing sewer infrastructure and administrative delays, while rapid rural-to-urban migration continued to increase demand for housing and public services.
“The shortage of urban and rural land remains a major obstacle to infrastructure development and housing delivery,” Nujoma said.
The Governor said the City of Windhoek has completed layout designs for 11,226 proposed erven across 18 townships, with N$296.4 million allocated for land servicing and housing delivery during the 2026/27 financial year in Cimbebasia, Otjomuise, Rocky Crest, Havana, Goreangab and Okahandja Park.
However, he warned that delays in approving environmental clearances could further slow the delivery of serviced land and urged the Office of the Environmental Commissioner to expedite the review of five Environmental Impact Assessment applications submitted by the City.
To address landlessness, Nujoma called for the accelerated implementation of the resolutions of the 2018 Second National Land Conference and the recommendations of the Ancestral Land and Restitution Commission, including the establishment of communal areas in the Khomas Region.
He also urged Parliament to expedite the passage of the Constituency Development Fund Bill and proposed greater use of public-private partnerships to finance road and transport infrastructure.
“The implementation of the 2018 Land Conference resolutions and the Ancestral Land and Restitution Commission recommendations to create communal areas in the region must be expedited to alleviate landlessness and cushion the effects of eviction and landlessness,” he said.
Nujoma further identified learner placement, public safety, public transport and the electrification of informal settlements as key development challenges facing the region.
He said staffing shortages within the Namibian Police and the City Police have weakened law enforcement capacity amid rising incidents of housebreaking, vehicle theft and cybercrime, while Windhoek’s continued reliance on private vehicles underscores the need for investment in mass public transport.
Under the Mass Housing Development Programme, 304 housing units are currently under construction in Windhoek, while the National Housing Enterprise completed two housing units in the Khomas Region during the previous financial year at a cost of N$1 million.
For the 2026/27 financial year, the National Housing Enterprise plans to invest N$82 million in the region through the construction of 73 housing units, the design of civil and electrical services for 380 erven in Otjomuise and the upgrading of 22 housing units in informal settlements.
