News from council chambers
In the most recent ordinary City council meeting, Mayor Queen Kamati said that she and her team remain committed to improved performance and service delivery, whilst fully supporting the Government’s roll-out of the Public Performance Management System, which is meant to foster a culture of citizen-centred service delivery.“At the tabling of the mid-term expenditure framework (MTEF) budget, I was pleased to note that the Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Hon. Ipumbu Shiimi, acknowledged the city’s real transport challenges. The city’s mobility has been in the spotlight since 2013 and by 2014, the Cabinet had approved the Sustainable Urban Transport Master Plan – a roadmap towards revolutionising the city’s mobility landscape.
“As part of his address, Hon. Shiimi extended a proposal to meet and have tea with me. I look forward to insightful deliberations on how we can change the city’s mobility landscape and bring on board strategic partners like the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, to fast-track our implementation efforts.”
Stats
Speaking at the same meeting, Kamati said that following the recently released population statistics by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), “Windhoek represents approximately 16% of Namibia’s population, which speaks volumes of the increased pressure for service delivery. Therefore, there is a need for Government intervention so that we may jointly find long-term, sustainable solutions to the increasing residents’ needs.”
Goreangab Extension 4
On 25 March, the City officially launched the construction of 113 houses at Goreangab Extension 4, as part of the Informal Settlement Upgrading Pilot Project (ISUPP), which is a partnership between the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, the Khomas Regional Council, the National Housing Enterprise and the City of Windhoek.
Kamati said that this project is geared to contribute to the construction of 1 200 affordable housing units within identified informal settlement areas in Windhoek. “The housing units to be constructed will be a combination of 2-bedroom free-standing houses, and 1 and 2-bedroom flats that cater for various income levels. The target beneficiaries groups are residents of Windhoek’s informal settlements, predominantly women and men in uniform, nurses, and teachers.”
Pensioners debt relief programme
Kamati said that close to 2 000 pensioners have registered for the municipality’s ongoing debt relief programme so far. “This initiative is aimed at providing support to the city’s vulnerable, elderly population. By offering a complete write-off of outstanding municipal debts, the programme not only alleviates financial stress on pensioners but also reflects our commitment to the social welfare of residents.”
Registration is currently underway at the City of Windhoek Head Office, the Katutura Customer Care Centre opposite Shoprite Katutura, and at the Ombili Customer Care Centre. The registration process will continue until 15 April 2024.
Water use
“The City is facing a serious water shortage. As you may recall, in June 2023, Council already declared a Category C Water Scarcity warning. With the continued extended water shortage, I am informed by experts that we may soon be forced to declare a more severe Category D or Severe Water Scarcity, in line with Council’s adopted Water Management Plan,” Kamati said.
“Therefore, I would like to use this opportunity to appeal to all our residents to immediately start utilising water responsibly and wisely to avoid a water crisis.”
Junior Council
Ginel Goagoseb from Concordia College was elected as the new Junior Mayor of Windhoek on 19 March, when the Junior City Council for 2024/2025 was officially sworn in.
The Junior City Council, established in 1999, is a leadership development programme aimed at instilling civic responsibility amongst the youth. Furthermore, it aims to create a platform for young people to participate in decision-making, and community activism and equip them with leadership knowledge. Members of the Junior Council are drawn from Grade 11 learners from 37 private and public schools in the Khomas region.
Cultural events
“In our endeavour to promote tourism and celebrate our diverse culture, I am pleased to announce that the annual Windhoek Karneval (WIKA) will run until 14 April 2024. In the same vein, I am pleased to invite all Windhoek residents and visitors to take part in the /Ae //Gams Arts and Cultural Festival on 26 April 2024. These cultural festivals are exciting examples of how we celebrate different cultures, under our adopted motto, “diverse culture, one vision”.