Residents of the single quarters at Otjiwarongo on Tuesday held a meeting with their local authority councillors to discuss a decongesting plan of their 30 houses in the Orwetoveni residential area.

Otjiwarongo Mayor, Gottlieb Shivute, chaired the meeting alongside his deputy, Julienda Kampungu, at the Orwetoveni Community Hall.

Councillors from the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), and Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) also attended.

Otjiwarongo Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Moses Matyayi and four other officials were also present.

Over 60 single quarter residents who attended had called on the municipality to be clear in its decongesting plan.

Shivute and Matyayi in return told them that their housing system would come to an end one day as there is overcrowding which makes their place uninhabitable.

“We would therefore like to see each one of you owning a place you call home than to look up to the single quarters,” said Matyayi.

Matyayi explained that the municipality has a plan to channel water, electricity, and create street roads to a variety of places in the eastern area of town, therefore, it would be better for them to also acquire plots there and move to these new dwellings.

It was then agreed between the residents and municipality to first review the 2021 demographic and income level survey, which was conducted by the municipality at the single quarters, so that a workshop for all residents is held to have a clear idea of the decongesting plan.

The single quarter residents have been sceptical about moving out, saying the proposed Camp Five township is far from town which makes it far from their workplaces, schools, hospitals and shops.

The municipality owns the single quarters and it argues that the 30 houses are overcrowded with 120 occupants.

The municipality now wants to sell these 30 single quarter houses to highest bidders at reserve prices of N.dollars 90 000, with preference given to the current occupants.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency