5 000 new houses for Khomas: Building homes or castles in the air?
The government’s pledge to construct 5 000 houses in the Khomas Region within the next 12 months has sparked both optimism and scepticism, with questions arising about the feasibility of this ambitious goal.
Khomas governor Sam Nujoma made the announcement last Friday, saying that the initiative forms part of a broader effort to formalise informal settlements across the country.
The scale of the target is striking – especially when compared to the government’s previous mass housing programme, which delivered just 4 380 units over a decade.
The National Housing Enterprise (NHE), meanwhile, managed to construct 18 304 houses over 31 years, between 1993 and 2024.
According to 2023 data, approximately 47% of Khomas households – representing an estimated 231 970 people – live in improvised housing units or shacks.
Feasibility questioned
Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah told Network Media Hub the target is unrealistic when viewed through the lens of past government performance.
“Historically, the government has struggled to meet housing targets. Only 4 380 houses were built in 10 years under the mass housing programme,” he said.
He pointed to additional hurdles, including funding shortages, limited land availability, infrastructure challenges and a shortage of skilled labour. Kamwanyah also raised affordability concerns: “Many people living in informal settlements have unstable incomes and may not be able to afford the new houses unless prices are subsidised.”
To succeed, he suggested government must engage communities, use low-cost construction methods, collaborate with private developers and ensure homes are truly affordable for low-income earners.
Other experts have also cast doubt, especially regarding the time-consuming procurement process involved in securing contractors and approvals.
“Servicing one extension – which usually accommodates about 300 houses – takes no less than six months. How will they manage 5 000 within a year?” a technical engineer opined.
Govt: We have a plan
The announcement follows a stakeholder consultative meeting convened by Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare on 31 March at the Samora Machel constituency office, focused on upgrading and formalising Windhoek’s informal settlements. The meeting mandated Nujoma to coordinate the development of a region-specific implementation plan, which was submitted to the prime minister last Friday.
According to Nujoma, further stakeholder meetings were convened to ensure a collaborative, transparent and innovative approach. Participating institutions included the Khomas Regional Council, the City of Windhoek, and the ministeries of land reform ministry and urban and rural development.
The governor noted that planning began in 2023 during his tenure as chairperson of the management committee at the Windhoek City Council.
The current goal is to deliver 5 000 serviced plots – primarily within informal settlements – and construct 5 000 affordable housing units on them during the current financial year.
Broader transformation plans
The implementation plan also prioritises the roll-out of the flexible land tenure system to give residents secure and affordable land rights.
Infrastructure upgrades form a key part of the plan, including the development of major roads within informal settlements.
Public safety is also a focus, with high-mast lights set to be installed in previously unlit areas, aiming to benefit more than 135 000 residents.
Additionally, municipal services – water, sewerage and electricity – will be installed with approved road-level designs, enabling 11 savings groups to start building.
The programme will later be expanded to include all saving groups in the region. - [email protected]