Windhoek
The Katima Mulilo Town Council has listed residential land allocation and upgrading roads and the central business district (CBD) as its number one priority for this year.
The council will erect four extra traffic lights in the town to reduce traffic congestion and upgrade the roads in different locations from gravel to bitumen standard. Furthermore, 150 houses under the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) will soon be handed over to residents.
The houses to be handed over are among the 329 initially targeted under the national mass housing project that was put on hold by government last year.
This was disclosed to New Era in an interview with the town’s chief executive officer Charles Nawa who informed this reporter that for the past three years the council has been looking at ways in which they can redesign the town’s roads and CBD to reduce traffic congestion as well as fast track development.
“We have realised that traffic congestion during certain times of the year and peak hours has been problematic and thus we saw the need to have more robots at strategic points to control traffic, as well as to expand the town so that we can ease traffic in the CBD. The CBD will be expanded behind Pick n Pay and Shoprite along the Wenela-Ngoma road,” he said.
Nawa added that when the process starts they are planning to relocate the sports complex that is centred in the CBD to Chotto Location to have ample space for more development, as well as upgrade the bus terminal for local and long-distance buses by erecting permanent structures and ablution facilities.
“All these are our priorities for this year; we are very serious about developing our town. Another thing we are also planning is to revamp our water system – we want to do away with the water crisis that normally hits our town,” said Nawa.
He said that after the revamping process they will put up prepaid meter systems for water supply, as they normally struggle to collect water revenue and thus that way it will be much easier and simpler.
Meanwhile, with regard to the process in which the NHE houses will be allocated, Nawa said they would re-advertise the houses so that the process can be free and fair, as it turns out that NHE and the council have a lot of people on the waiting list.
“We will re-advertise these houses because the names of some people and the information which is on our list are no longer relevant, as you will find that some people have moved to other towns and our priority is those that are around. Why should we offer a house to someone that lives in another town?” questioned Nawa.
With regard to payment of the plot to be allocated, he said there would be a requirement of a 50 percent deposit for each plot to be purchased and thus the cost will depend on the size of the plot.
“So I advise our people to be patient as the process takes a bit longer – however very soon we will allocate the plots though they are semi-completed but at least the basic service necessities will be provided and the rest as time goes on,” stressed Nawa.