Republic of Namibia
Namibia Country Report (Draft)
For the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and
Sustainable Urban Development
(Habitat III)
July 2015
i
Table of Contents
List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................................................ iii
List of Figures and Tables ...........................................................................................................................................iv
Foreword ....................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Chapter I: Urban Demographic Issues and Challenges for a New Urban Agenda ....................................................... 3
1. Managing rapid urbanization ............................................................................................................................ 3
2. Managing rural-urban linkages ......................................................................................................................... 4
3. Addressing urban youth needs .......................................................................................................................... 5
4. Responding to the needs of the aged ................................................................................................................ 6
5. Integrating gender in urban development ......................................................................................................... 7
6. Challenges experienced and lessons learnt in these areas ................................................................................ 8
7. Future challenges and issues in these areas that could be addressed by a New Urban Agenda ....................... 8
Chapter II: Land and urban Planning: Issues and Challenges for a New Urban Agenda ............................................. 9
8. Ensuring sustainable urban planning and design .............................................................................................. 9
9. Improving urban land management, including addressing urban sprawl ....................................................... 11
10. Enhancing urban and peri-urban food production ...................................................................................... 12
11. Addressing urban mobility challenges ........................................................................................................ 12
12. Improving technical capacity to plan and manage cities ............................................................................ 13
13. Challenges experienced and lessons learnt in these areas .......................................................................... 14
14. Future challenges and issues in these areas that could be addressed by a New Urban Agenda ................. 15
Chapter III: Environment and Urbanization: Issues and Challenges for a New Urban Agenda ............................... 15
15. Addressing climate change ......................................................................................................................... 15
16. Disaster risk reduction ................................................................................................................................ 16
17. Reducing traffic congestion ........................................................................................................................ 17
18. Air pollution ............................................................................................................................................... 18
19. Challenges experienced and lessons learned in these areas ........................................................................ 19
20. Future challenges and issues in these areas that could be addressed by a New Urban Agenda ................. 19
Chapter IV: Urban Governance and Legislation: Issues and Challenges for a New Urban Agenda .......................... 20
21. Improving urban legislation ........................................................................................................................ 20
22. Decentralization and strengthening of local authorities ............................................................................. 20
23. Improving participation and human rights in urban development .............................................................. 21
24. Enhancing urban safety and security .......................................................................................................... 21
25. Improving social inclusion and equity ........................................................................................................ 22
26. Challenges experienced and lessons learnt in these areas .......................................................................... 23
27. Future challenges and issues in these areas that could be addressed by a New Urban Agenda ................. 23
ii
Chapter V: Urban Economy: Issues and Challenges for a New Urban Agenda ......................................................... 24
28. Improving municipal/ local finance ............................................................................................................ 24
29. Strengthening and improving access to housing finance ............................................................................ 25
30. Supporting local economic development .................................................................................................... 26
31. Creating decent jobs and livelihoods .......................................................................................................... 26
32. Integration of the urban economy into national development policies ....................................................... 27
33. Challenges experienced and lessons learnt in these areas .......................................................................... 28
34. Future challenges and issues in these areas that could be addressed by a New Urban Agenda ................. 28
Chapter VI: Housing and Basic Services: Issues and Challenges for a New Urban Agenda ..................................... 29
35. Slum upgrading and prevention .................................................................................................................. 29
36. Improving access to adequate housing ....................................................................................................... 31
37. Ensuring sustainable access to safe drinking water .................................................................................... 32
38. Ensuring sustainable access to basic sanitation and drainage ..................................................................... 33
39. Improving access to clean domestic energy ............................................................................................... 33
40. Improving access to sustainable means of transport ................................................................................... 34
41. Challenges experiences and lessons learnt in these areas ........................................................................... 34
42. Future challenges and issues in these areas that could be addressed by a New Urban Agenda ................. 35
Chapter VII: Urban Indicators .................................................................................................................................... 36
References .................................................................................................................................................................. 38
iii
List of Acronyms
BTP - Build Together Programme
CLIP - Community Land Information Programme
CBO(s) - Community Based Organization(s)
DRR/ M - Disaster Risk Reduction/ Management
FLTS - Flexible Land Tenure System
HIV/AIDS - Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
LED - Local Economic Development
MHDP - Mass Housing Development Programme
MWT - Ministry of Works and Transport
NDP - National Development Plan
NHAG - Namibia Housing Action Group
NHE - National Housing Enterprise
NGO(s) - Non-Governmental Organization(s)
NYC/ S - National Youth Council/ Service
LA(s) - Local Authority(s)
MDG(s) - Millennium Development Goal(s)
MURD - Ministry of Urban and Rural Development
MYNSSC - Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture
NSA - Namibia Statistics Agency
RA - Roads Authority
RC(s) - Regional Council(s)
SADC - Southern African Development Community
SDFN - Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia
SWAPO - South West Africa Peoples Organization
UN-Habitat - United Nations Human Settlements Programme
iv
List of Figures and Tables
Figures
Figure 1: Population size by urban and rural areas
Figure 2: Population pyramids
Figure 3: Road Network map and road surface types
Figure 4: Traffic Jam
Figure 5: Informal Settlement area in Windhoek
Tables
Table 1: Population size by regions
Table 2: Urbanization at regional level
Table 3: Percent distribution of household by type of main toilet facility
1
Foreword
Recognize is taken that Namibia is a signatory to the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements and the
subsequent commitment to the Global Plan of Action. I as the Minister of Urban and Rural Development
am therefore greatly honoured to sanction this Country Report of the Government of the Republic of
Namibia, for the Third United Nations (UN) Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development
(Habitat III). This is particularly at a very opportune time in our national discourse when housing, land
delivery and sustainable urbanization are the key issues and challenges. It is our firm hope that the
conference will succeed in its purpose of reinvigorating the global and national level commitment to
sustainable urban development focusing on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
Managing urban growth has become one of the important challenges facing Namibia in the next 15 years
towards Vision 2030. It is our considered view that how we manage urban growth will have a direct
impact on how our towns and cities will perform in the future in driving national development, inclusive
growth and responding to the most pressing urban challenges including land delivery, housing the poor
and improved service delivery. The first step would be to articulate a comprehensive shared vision
towards and integrate National Urban Development Strategy and Framework, To enhance liveable, safe,
resource efficient cities and towns that are socially integrated, economically inclusive and globally
competitive where all residents have opportunities and access to participate actively and meaningfully in
the urban life.
Furthermore, we believe that the framework for the New Urban Agenda needs for focus on the following
key issues:
· It will need to be people centred and fully acknowledge the role of culture as one of the pillars of
sustainable development.
· It will need to address integrated and holistic urban planning, land management and responsive
basic service delivery that is a key cornerstone for the development of our communities, towns
and cities.
· In addition, the New Urban Agenda will need to help us move away from the dichotomy of rural
versus urban.
The Government of Namibia is totally committed to constantly improve the wellbeing of its society,
citizens and the environment it operates in. We therefore look forward to further partnerships to the new
Habitat III Agenda.
Sophia Shaningwa (MP)
MINISTER
2
Introduction
The Government of Namibia became a signatory to the Istanbul Declaration on human settlements in
1996, and thereby committed itself to the implementation of the Habitat II Agenda and the Global Plan of
Action. In March 1996, the Namibian Government adopted the Namibia Plan of Action. The Plan was
undertaken to address the large number of Namibians living in poverty, under the conditions of
inadequate shelter and homelessness. This Action Plan served as a guide to all stakeholders and agencies
in the fields of housing delivery and human settlements development.
The National Habitat Committee was established in 1995 with representatives from Government
Ministries, Non-Governmental Organizations, Community Based Organizations, Local Authorities, Trade
Unions and Churches. Some new stakeholders have been included for a more balanced representation.
Particular concerns were raised on the Namibia National Plan of Action document of 1996, inter alia
realizing the shortcomings and the need for conformity with the Habitat II Agenda and the Global Plan of
Action. The National Plan of Action of 1996 was thus reviewed in March 1999 to be in tandem with the
goals and principles of the Global Plan of Action as well as the National Housing Policy, particularly with
the two themes of equal global importance adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements
development in an increasingly urbanized world.
This report is intended to review and analyse the progress of implementation of Habitat II for the Third
United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III). The report has
been developed in consultation with key stakeholders. Inputs were drawn from information sources from
Government Ministries and Agencies. It is believed that this report illustrate the good practices of
Namibia for the last two decades, the challenges experienced and lessons learned, as well as the key
issues that the framework for the New Urban Agenda needs to focus on.
Nghidinua Daniel
PERMANENT SECRETARY
3
Chapter I: Urban Demographic Issues and Challenges for a New Urban Agenda
1. Managing rapid urbanization
Namibia became independent in 1990. The first official census conducted in an independent Namibia
during 1991 indicated that Namibia had a population of 1,409,915 people of whom 28% lived in the
urban areas and 72% in the rural areas. Since this period, urban areas registered unprecedented growth,
which in part reflected the freedom of movement enshrined in the Constitution after years of mobility
restriction on people. The major factor promoting the rapid rate of urbanization in the country is rural-to-
urban migration, mainly of young men and women in search of better social and economic opportunities.
1
Therefore, urban areas boast a greater formal workforce, which is a major driving force behind rural-
urban migration and deepens rural-urban disparities. Namibian population increased to 1.8 million in
2001 to 2.1 million people in 2011, and the urban population grew by 49.7% whilst rural population
dropped by 1.4% over the same period, a trend that illustrates high rates of rural-urban migration in the
country (NSA, 2011:25-26). Figure 1 depicts population size by urban and rural areas for all Census
years.
Figure 1: Population size by urban and rural areas Namibia Statistics Agency.
Windhoek, the capital of and largest city in Namibia, with a population of 233,529, became the focal
point of rural-urban migration after independence; and these newly settled urban residents lived in very
unhygienic conditions, without accessible water and sewerage facilities.
2
It also became apparent that a
substantial increase in serviced land delivery was needed, particularly in Windhoeks low-income housing
areas. Furthermore, urban growth has been greatest in the informal and low income housing areas.
3
It is
estimated in Vision 2030 that at the current rate of urban population growth the population of Namibia
would be 60% urbanized by 2020, and 75% urbanized by 2030.
As can be seen in Table 1 below, there has been a noticeable population increase in the most urbanized
regions such as in Erongo with the highest increase of 40% followed by Khomas with 36.71%, between
2001 and 2011 (NSA, 2011).
1
Namibian Vision 2030: Policy Framework for Long-term National Development: Main Document, Office of the President,
2004.
2
Cited in A place we want to call our home: A study on land tenure policy and securing housing rights in Namibia, by Legal
Assistance Centre (LAC), 2005.
3
An Atlas of Namibias population: Monitoring & understanding its characteristics, by Central Bureau of Statistics, 2010.
4
Area 2001 2011 2001-2011
Increase
Namibia 1 830 330 2 113 077 15.45
Caprivi 79 826 90 596 13.49
Erongo 107 663 150 809 40.08
Hardap 68 249 79 507 16.50
Karas 69 329 77 421 11.67
Kavango 202 294 223 352 10.19
Khomas 250 262 342 141 36.71
Kunene 68 735 86 856 26.36
Ohangwena 228 384 245 446 7.47
Omaheke 68 039 71 233 4.69
Omusati 228 842 243 166 6.26
Oshana 161 616 176 674 9.11
Oshikoto 161 007 181 973 13.02
Otjozondjupa 135 384 143 903 6.29
Table 1: Population size by regions
Table 2 below shows urbanization at regional level.
Area 1991
(Percentage)
2001
(Percentage)
2011 (Total
Population)
2011
(Urban)
2011
(Percentage)
Namibia 28 33 2 113 077 903 343 42.8
Caprivi 15 28 90 596 28 362 31.3
Erongo 63 80 150 809 131 770 87.4
Hardap 44 46 79 507 47 814 60.1
Karas 45 54 77 421 41 823 54.0
Kavango 17 18 223 352 64 049 28.7
Khomas 88 93 342 141 325 858 95.2
Kunene 25 25 86 856 22 898 26.4
Ohangwena 0 1 245 446 24 903 10.1
Omaheke 16 20 71 233 21 203 29.8
Omusati 0 1 243 166 13 848 5.7
Oshana 26 31 176 674 79 801 45.2
Oshikoto 13 9 181 973 23 634 13.0
Otjozondjupa 46 41 143 903 77 471 53.8
Table 2: Urbanization at regional level
With increase urbanization many Local Authorities (LAs) are under severe strain in keeping up provision
of serviced land. Urbanization also put a strain on the provision of housing, sanitation and other services,
due to insufficient resources to plan for, and accommodate this growth. There is therefore an urgent need
to develop a national approach to the challenges of urban growth.
2. Managing rural-urban linkages
It is noted that links exist between rural and urban areas. Concerted efforts have been made in the past to
bridge the inequality gap between rural and urban areas in Namibia, but the phenomenon persists.
The Namibian government thus introduced initiatives to improve living conditions of rural people who
are faced with immense social, economic and environmental factors.
National Rural Development Policy and Strategy
The policy was approved by Cabinet in 2012 and is aimed at accelerating broad-based rural
industrialisation and economic growth. The policy aims to improve the standard of living in rural areas
5
by providing basic social and economic services and by creating a political, legal, economic and social
environment, which will empower people to take charge of their own development. The strategy is the
operative document for the implementation of the National Rural Development Policy.
The solution to poverty in rural areas cannot be found in the rural economy alone. Rural growth needs
access to urban markets and vibrant non-farm sectors. Equally the growth of urban areas can be
compromised by inadequate rural development. Strategies (e.g. for addressing poverty) must recognize
the interdependence or rural and urban spaces, while a comprehensive, integrated approach to urban
development needs to respond to the reality of migration to peri-urban areas.
3. Addressing urban youth needs
Namibias population is young with 57.9% of Namibians being 24 years old or younger.
4
Equally, the
Namibia Labour Force Survey of 2014 indicates that the youth population in Namibia, 15 to 34 years, is
826,874. Of this figure 436,978 (53%) resides in urban areas. Consequently, it is this group of the
population that faces many social and economic challenges such as high rate of school failure,
unemployment, HIV/AIDS, and abuse of drugs and alcohol. Recently, the youth voiced out their
concerns over unavailability of land specifically in the urban areas and thus demanded local authorities to
make land available to them. In support of this statement, in the study done by the National Youth
Council (Jauch, H., 2015:66), it is indicated that Namibias youth is confronted by a host of socio-
economic challenges, including mass unemployment and precarious forms of employment and incomes;
and unlike the National Employment Policy of 2013, the current housing policies do not focus on the
youth at all.
Therefore, although government has introduced various initiatives to address the needs of the youth, more
aggressive programmes are required to address the challenges faced by the youth.
As shown on Figure 2 it is clear from the two population pyramids that the urban population is
predominated by people aged 39 years and below with a peak at 25-29 whilst the rural population is
predominated by people aged 19 and with a peak at 0-4 years. The two pyramids gives a clear indicator
that Namibia should be prepared the youth are coming to urban areas.
Figure 2: Population pyramids, 2011 Namibia Statistics Agency.
4
Youth and Urban Land/ Housing in Namibia: Final report prepared by Herbert Jauch for the National Youth Council: 20 May
2015.
6
The following are some of the initiatives introduced to address the plight of the youth, in order to make
them productive citizens that will contribute to the social and economic development of the country.
National Youth Council (NYC)
The NYC was implemented to advise the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture
(MYNSSC) on developmental and youth issues. The council was established in 1994 and it operates in
six key areas: employment, promotion and environmental awareness, youth health and welfare;
networking; youth exchange and international relations as well as information technology and media.
National Youth Service (NYS)
The National Youth Service is a youth development service institution, established by the National Youth
Service Act, Act No. 6 of 2005. The main focus of this initiative is to recruit young school leavers from
all over the country, by offering skills training to those who do not qualify for further studies at
institutions of higher learning.
Namibia youth credit scheme (NYCS)
This is an integrated business development model that targets committed out of school youth and prepares
them to start and grow their own enterprises with the objectives of generating incomes, creating
employment opportunities and contributing to the alleviation of poverty.
5
As of 2014, more than 6,900
youth have benefited from the scheme, of which 73% are women.
African Youth Charter
Namibia ratified the African Youth Charter on 12 March 2008. The Charter provides important
guidelines and responsibilities of Member States for the empowerment of youth in key strategic areas,
namely education and skills development, poverty eradication and socio-economic integration of youth,
sustainable livelihood and youth employment.
Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN) has initiated youth programs and started to train youth in
doing Socio-Economic Surveys as part of the data collection of the Community Land Information
Program (CLIP). This prepared the unemployed youth for employment. Young people are also involved
in the Federation as members, and contribute towards loan management and report preparation in the
networks and regions. They also started to organize themselves to respond to their needs and stay away
from harmful habits such as drugs and alcohol abuse.
4. Responding to the needs of the aged
The extent, to which we protect and promote the dignity and rights of older people today, reflects on how
our own rights will be protected and promoted in our old age.
6
The elderly citizens are acknowledged and
well esteemed for their past contributions to the development of our country, and in their old age they are
well cared for and remain happy senior citizens in a safe and loving environment.
7
Vision 2030 indicates
that senior citizens constitute a small percentage of the total population (7%), and this is not expected to
increase appreciably during the Vision period, as a result of the effect of HIV/AIDS on the population.
This figure remains the same in the last census of 2011.
5
Namibia Youth Credit Scheme 2007-2012: Working with Youth and through youth to improve livelihoods: A programme of
the Ministry of Youth, national Service, Sport and Culture, October 2008.
6
Report on respecting our elders: The first national conference of older people: 28 29 September 2003.
7
Namibian Vision 2030
7
The Namibian Constitutions article 95 (promotion of welfare of people) sub-article (f) obliges the state to
ensure that senior citizens are entitled to and receive regular pension adequate for the maintenance of
decent standard of living and enjoyment of social and cultural opportunities. To give effect to this and
other mandates to provide basic income to vulnerable groups, the pension Act, 10 of 1992 came into
force.
8
Old people in Namibia (60 years and older) are paid a monthly social grant, under the Ministry of
Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare This social grant has been increased over the years, and now
stands at N$1,000. The amount guarantees that the recipients have access to basic needs. With this
monthly grant, the elderly have the opportunity to pay for water, get basic healthcare and pay for basic
food needs.
Recipients of a basic or disability pension are also registered for mandatory life insurance paying a
funeral benefit.
9
Additionally, government prioritises health care for the elderly through programmes
such as the cataract operations that happen yearly.
In addition, the SDFN took an inclusive process whereby the pensioners can participate in securing their
own shelter for 22 square meters, paying only N$50 per month. No interest is charged and the
contribution is going towards the capital. 97 pensioners benefited from the social funds for a total amount
of N$1.7 million.
5. Integrating gender in urban development
The Namibian Constitution provides a strong background for gender equality as it forbids discrimination
on the basis of sex. To this end, the government has established the Ministry of Gender Equality and
Child Welfare to coordinate, implement, and monitor activities and programmes to ensure equitable
socioeconomic development of women, men and children. The first Gender Policy of Namibia was
formulated in 1997 and was reviewed in 2010. The overarching goal of the National Gender Policy is to
achieve gender equality and the empowerment of both female and male persons in Namibia; in this
respect, the policy framework provides mechanisms and guidelines for all sectors and other stakeholders
for planning, implementing and monitoring gender equality strategies and programmes in order to ensure
that these would facilitate gender equality and womens empowerment.
10
The National Gender Plan of Action (NGPA) was also formulated by government. In a bid to put in
motion the objectives of the NGPA, the Namibian Women Parliamentary Caucus (NWPC) was
established by Women Parliamentarians in 1996 with the objective of promoting gender sensitive
legislation and a greater role for women in the Namibian Parliament. This has provided an opportunity for
elected women from all parties and all levels of government to share their experiences and overcome the
diverse problems that they experience individually, collectively and at electoral level. Equally, due to the
50/50 policy spearheaded by the SWAPO party, women now represent 48% of the National Assembly.
Furthermore, a number of NGOs are also active in promoting womens participation in power sharing and
decision-making, especially within the political arena. One such initiative is the global campaign which
began in 1999 as a global effort aimed at achieving gender equality in political representation and was
spearheaded by Sister Namibia. The Namibian Womens Network also provides advocacy, lobbying, and
voter education while the Womens Solidarity provides counselling, advice and other forms of assistance
to any woman who might have been raped and or sexually, physically and emotionally abused.
11
8
Namibia Social Protection Floor Assessment Report , Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, 2014
9
Namibia Social Protection Floor Assessment Report , Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, 2014
10
National Gender Policy 2010 2020: Ministry of Gender, Equality and Child Welfare: March 2010
11
African Development Bank Namibia, Country Strategy Paper, 2009-2013, Regional Department, South Region: March 2009
8
The Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Job Creation (MLIRJC) is tasked to ensure womens
equal participation in the work force through its monitoring and enforcement of the Affirmative Action
(Employment) Act.
Being a signatory to the Millennium Declaration of 2000, Namibia is participating in the process of
achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly MDG 3, which
promotes equal rights and intends to strengthen the rights of women.
6. Challenges experienced and lessons learnt in these areas
With an increased rate of urbanisation, urban localities in Namibia are faced with a number of challenges
such as growth of informal settlements, poor housing conditions, insecurity of tenure, unemployment,
poor access to basic services and infrastructure, which give pressure to Local Authorities (LAs) to keep
up with the demand for basic services and amenities.
Despite various strategies that are put in place, Namibian youth are still facing many challenges such as
alcoholism, drug abuse, various health and social problems associated with HIV/AIDS and teenage
pregnancies, crime and violence, physical and emotional abuse, high rates of school drop-outs, high
unemployment levels, lack of or insufficient expertise and capital required to undertake entrepreneurial
initiatives, lack of or inequitable access to information and recreational activities. All of this coupled with
the detrimental impact of HIV/AIDS contribute towards an unhealthy environment for the youth of today
and poor prospects for the future.
As urbanization causes more people to migrate to towns and cities, the elderly are left behind with little
support and are left to fend for themselves. Other challenges faced by many elderly are the inadequacy of
basic services, such as water and sanitation. Additionally, the elderly are forced to take care of their
grandchildren due to various socio-economic situations.
Regardless of the progress made, there are still many challenges faced by women, such as increased
prevalence of HIV/AIDS, rape and gender based violence. There is therefore a critical need to tackle all
these ill issues of society.
7. Future challenges and issues in these areas that could be addressed by a New Urban Agenda
People have good reasons for moving to urban areas and that urbanization is both understandable and
manageable. This implies a mind shift on the part of policy makers to embrace the potential of
urbanization through evidence base understanding and thoughtful policy and strategic responses.
There is a need to acknowledge the economic, social and environmental interdependence between rural
and urban areas. It is becoming more and clearer that rural and urban spaces share structural, social,
economic and cultural linkages. Rural development and urban development policy frameworks that
connect with each other will enhance inclusive development. The focus must be on strengthening linkages
between urban and rural development, as a mechanism to achieve sustainable and inclusive development
by:
§ Linking functional geographical areas through various levers and other strategic
initiatives.
§ Creating synergies between enterprises in urban and rural areas.
§ Developing value-chains between various economic sectors.
9
The solution to poverty in rural areas cannot be found in the rural economy alone. Rural growth needs
access to urban markets and vibrant non-farm sectors. Equally, the growth of urban areas can be
compromised by inadequate rural development. Strategies (e.g. for addressing poverty) must recognize
the interdependence of rural and urban spaces, while a comprehensive, integrated approach to urban
development needs to respond to the reality of migration to peri-urban areas.
There is a need to recognize that the urban population is growing younger while the rural population is
growing older. This is because most people when they retire go back to the rural areas where life is
simpler and manageable. In contrast young people in search of job and educational opportunities flock to
towns and cities. As a consequence the housing and other services need to align to the needs of this
segment of young people
Social welfare programmes should be extended to all people in society especially the weak and the older
in order to make sure that every part of society gains access to these benefits.
There is also a need for building capacity of researchers, trainers and planners in participatory and gender
responsive methods.
Chapter II: Land and urban Planning: Issues and Challenges for a New Urban
Agenda
8. Ensuring sustainable urban planning and design
Land use planning and land delivery is of central importance for Government as land delivery is a crucial
element in the provision of shelter and housing delivery. Land is also a key source of revenue for local
authorities and also a driver of local and regional economic development. Currently land delivery is
governed by Land Ordinance No. 11 of 1963 and the Town Planning Ordinance no. 18 of 1954.
Therefore land delivery can take anything from 28 42 months. However having recognized the
bottlenecks created by the legal process in land delivery, there is a new Urban and Regional Planning Bill
that is expected to be promulgated during the 2015/2016 financial year. The objective of the Bill is to:
· Establish an urban and regional planning board;
· Regulate spatial development frameworks and structure planning;
· Decentralize urban planning and land use management;
· Provide for zoning schemes, subdivisions and consolidation of land, establishment of urban areas
and extension of urban areas situated in local authorities in such a way as will most effectively
promote health, safety, order, amenity, convenience and environmental and economic
sustainability in the process of development.
Townships and Division of Land Ordinance No. 11 of 1963 establishes the Townships Board and the
Town Planning Ordinance No. 18 of 1954 establishes the Namibia Planning advisory Board (NAMPAB)
and provides a legal basis for a Local Authority to draft a Town Planning scheme within the local
authority boundaries. The purpose of the Townships Board is to exercise and perform the functions,
powers and duties entrusted to and conferred upon it in terms of the provision of Townships and Division
of Land Ordinance 11 of 1963. The functions of the Townships will be to consider the following matters
when enquiring and reporting on an application seeking to establish a township:
· Whether the land is suitable in respect of area, position, water supply, aspect, contour, extension,
soil and other physical features and accessibility;
10
· The existence of servitudes or encumbrances that may affect the establishment of the proposed
township;
· The proposals and stipulations contained in the application and the conditions on which in the
opinion of the Board the application should be granted;
· The extent of the townlands and the number, size and position of any erven and sites to be
reserved for the State or for any public or local authority purposes or in the general interest of the
inhabitants;
· The proposed design and name of the township;
· The allocation of districts or zones limiting the use to which the erven may be put and the order in
which they may be sold;
· The maximum number of houses that may be built upon each erf and the maximum area of each
erf, which may be built upon;
· The endowment, if any, which should be made for a local authority or future local authority;
· Any other matters to which, in the opinion of the Board, the attention of the Minister should be
drawn.
In addition to reporting on any application referred to the Township Board, the Board shall perform such
other duties as may be prescribed by the Townships and Division of Land Ordinance or by the Minister
and the Minister may refer report on such other matters to the Board.
The purpose of NAMPAB is to consider all matters relating to town planning schemes as assigned to it by
the terms of the Ordinance (Ordinance No. 18 of 1954) and advice the Minister on matters related to the
town planning scheme. The general functions of NAMPAB are:
· To advise the Minister in matters relating to the preparation and carrying into effect of town
planning schemes;
· To formulate in general terms a town planning policy for Namibia with special reference to
various types of development in their relation to roads, railways, residential, commercial and
industrial areas, educational and other public institutions, townlands, places of recreation, open
spaces, water supply, sanitation, soil suitability and the like, including also the administrative and
financial implications which certain types of development would have in respect of local
government control;
· To undertake any survey within Namibia and to assign plans in connection therewith;
· To encourage the study of town and regional planning;
· To ensure as far as practicable that local authorities in the exercise of their powers in respect of
town planning make use of such powers to the best advantage;
· To advise and assist Local Authorities generally in connection with the preparation of town
planning schemes;
· To furnish any Local Authority with technical advice in regard to a town planning scheme; to
prepare plans for any suggested scheme; to prepare estimates of the approximate cost of carrying
out such scheme; and to tender such other advice as may be deemed necessary to enable such
Local Authority to initiate such scheme and carry it out to completion upon its approval by the
Minister;
· To advise the Minister on the desirability for and necessity of establishing townships;
· To advise the Minister on the subdivision of land situated outside an approved township or outside
the townlands of such a township where either the subdivision or the remainder thus created is
smaller than twenty-five hectares;
· To advise the Minister on the desirability for and necessity of de-proclaiming townships;
· Generally to exercise such powers and perform such functions as are conferred or imposed upon it
by or in terms of this Ordinance: Provided that such powers shall only be exercised and such
functions shall only be performed if the Minister so directs. Each Board comprises of 12
members appointed by the Minister of Urban and Rural Development. NAMPAB draws its
11
members from Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, National Planning Commission,
Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Land Reform, Ministry of Works and
Transport, Ministry Justice, Ministry of Urban and Rural Development and Association of Local
Authorities in Namibia.
The Townships Board draws its members from infrastructure related agencies such as Namwater,
Telecom Namibia, TransNamib, Ministry of Works and Transport, Roads Authority, Surveyor General,
Registrar of Deeds, Association of Local Authorities in Namibia, Director of Regional, Local Authorities
and Traditional Authorities.
The two bodies convene meetings every month of the year to perform their duties.
9. Improving urban land management, including addressing urban sprawl
With an increased rate of urbanisation, urban localities in Namibia are faced with a number of challenges
such as growth of informal settlements, poor housing conditions, insecurity of tenure, unemployment,
poor access to basic services and infrastructure, which give pressure to LAs to keep up with the demand
for basic services and amenities.
The increasing demand for land in Namibias urban centres after independence led to the realisation by
the Namibian Government that addressing tenure security in rural areas alone was not sufficient; hence it
was widely recognised that Namibia needed to implement a comprehensive national land reform that
takes into account different land needs and equitable access to land in both rural and urban areas.
12
National Land Policy 1998
This policy provides for a unitary land system for the country that accords all citizens equal rights,
opportunities and security across a range of land tenure and management systems. The policy contains a
special gender provision, in line with Article 95 of the Constitution, giving women the same status as men
with regard to all forms of land rights, either as individuals or as members of family land ownership
trusts. The policy provides that all widows and widowers are entitled to retain the land rights they
enjoyed during their spouses lifetime. It provides for multiple forms of land rights ranging from
customary grants to leaseholds and freehold titles, licences, certificates or permits and state ownership. In
addition it sets the direction for addressing the situation of the urban poor: informal settlements will
receive attention through appropriate planning, land delivery and tenure, registration and financing, with
environmental sustainability borne in mind. The policy requires the establishment and proclamation of
urban areas as townships and municipalities where appropriate, to promote decentralisation and the close
involvement of communities in their own administration.
The policy also states that particular attention must be given to establishing a transparent, flexible and
consultative local authority planning system and development regulations. The policy recommends the
enactment of legislation enabling the compulsory acquisition of land by central or local governments for
public purposes in accordance with Article 16 of the Constitution. The compulsory acquisition of
commercial agricultural land for public purposes is provided for in the Agricultural (Commercial) Land
Reform Act, but there is no similar provision in legislation pertaining to urban land reform.
12
The Flexible Land Tenure System in Namibia: Integrating Urban Rights into the National Land Reform Programme, by
Elke Matthaei and Prisca Mandimika: Paper prepared for presentation at the 2010 World Bank Conference on Land and
Poverty, March 24 27, 2014
12
Flexible Land Tenure Act of 2012
The Flexible Land Tenure System (FLTS) was developed as an innovative concept to provide affordable
tenure security for informal urban settlers; the basic idea of the FLTS is to establish a parallel,
interchangeable system complementary to the current formal system of freehold tenure; and the aim of the
FLTS is to address the issue of equitable and needs oriented access to land, thereby complementing the
efforts already undertaken under the national land reform programme.
13
The Property Valuers Profession Act of 2012
The Namibian Council for Property Valuation Profession was established as per this Act. The Act
provides for regulation of the valuation profession through registration of values and thus ensures persons
providing valuation services have the required qualifications and expertise. The Council will also ensure
high ethical standards are adhered to by all registered practicing valuers.
10. Enhancing urban and peri-urban food production
The important role of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture is now being recognized in the international
arena, especially its contribution to the lives of people in and around the towns and cities unemployed or
underemployed.
14
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Directorate of Extension and
Engineering Services launched a project entitled Integrated Initiative in Support of Urban and Peri-
Urban Horticulture Development in Namibia.
15
Similarly, as urban dwellers were flocking to Windhoek in high numbers during recent droughts, the City
Council of Windhoek acknowledged that local governments should assume responsibility for assisting
urban migrants for food and nutrition security issues.
16
A Windhoek Declaration on Food and Nutrition
Security was signed by all present Mayors and overseen by the Deputy Prime Minister; and the
signatories committed themselves to the implementation of the recommendations while the Deputy Prime
Minister stated that the workshop deployed the highest political will Namibia has ever seen for this matter
and strongly encouraged local authorities and stakeholders to enable implementation by showing
technical will.
17
11. Addressing urban mobility challenges
Namibia has a relatively good core network of national physical infrastructure, including transport
infrastructure, however there are emerging weaknesses which, if not addressed could become serious
obstacles to higher economic growth. The Ministry of Works and Transport (MWT) is mandated to
develop sectoral policy and regulations and to ensure infrastructure development and maintenance of
transport State assets. Until 1995, the road transport sector was still regulated in terms of the Road
Transportation Act, No. 74 of 1977, under which the market was dominated by a few large operators,
making it difficult for previously disadvantaged Namibians to gain access to the market. Government, in
a bid to redress this shortcoming, published the White Paper on Transport Policy in 1995.
Road Traffic and Transport Act, 1999 (Act 22 of 1999) was enacted to provide for the establishment of
the Transportation Commission of Namibia; for the control of traffic on public roads, the licensing of
13
ibid
14
http://www.mawf.gov.na/Programmes/horticulture.html
15
ibid
16
Working paper on food and nutrition security workshop final report 21 to 23 July 2014: World Future Council
17
ibid
13
drivers, the registration and licensing of vehicles, the control and regulation of road transport across
Namibia's borders; and for matters incidental thereto.
18
The Roads Authority (RA), whose core business is to construct and maintain Namibias road sector, plays
a pivotal role towards road safety in Namibia. The growth of the road infrastructure and the expansion of
the road network have contributed immensely to the economic development of Namibia and the SADC
sub-region as a whole.
Figure 3 below is the Road Network map, outlining the total length of the network as well as the road
surface types found in Namibia.
19
Figure 3: Road Network map and road surface types
Established by an Act of Parliament (Act 14 of 1999, amended 2002), Roads Contractor Company (RCC)
objective is to undertake work relating to the construction or maintenance of roads or any other
construction works in accordance with sound and generally accepted business principles. Construction
work includes, but is not limited to, buildings, bridges, waterworks, dams, reservoirs, tunnels, canals,
aqueducts, irrigation works, aerodromes and railway infrastructure.
On July 18 2012, the City of Windhoek (CoW), jointly with the MWT and other stakeholders, embarked
on the process of developing a Sustainable Urban Transport Master Plan (SUTMP) for the City of
Windhoek.
20
The master plan is intended to provide for an efficient, affordable, equitable, safe and
convenient public and non-motorised transport (NMT) for residents of the city and its surroundings.
21
12. Improving technical capacity to plan and manage cities
Before independence, Namibia was ruled by a strong central government. However this situation has
now changed since local authorities have assumed a vital role as providers of services to citizens. Public
water services are among the key responsibilities of local authorities. In the quest to ensure effective
18
Road Traffic and Transport Act, 1999 (Act 22 of 1999)
19
http://www.ra.org.na/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=13
20
Sustainable Urban Transport Plan for Windhoek including Rehoboth, Okahandja ad Hosea Kutako International Airport,
2013.
21
ibid
14
governance system and service delivery, the Namibian government invested a lot of time and resources in
facilitating the establishment of LAs and setting up proper governance system.
The government has embarked on a programme to reform the local government sector aimed at
improving the operation of local government in Namibia. This reform focuses on efficient and effective
service delivery in recognition that they are part of the system that is at the delivery point to our people.
The reform encourages LAs to reduce red tapes, the free flow of information between them and their
communities and provide high quality infrastructure within the resources at their disposal.
The other area of focus of the reform is the establishment of financial prudence requirements for LAs. In
building a more competitive and productive economy, it is critical for local governments to take a prudent
financial approach to public resources. The reform also aims to strengthen local authority governance
capacity by reviewing political, institutional and staffing requirements, inter government relations and the
development planning procedures among others.
The government have immensely assisted LAs in servicing of land and for provision of other basic
services to the communities. However most of the planning functions still remain with central
government.
CBOs such as SDFN/ NHAG (Namibia Housing Action Group) have built relationships with the
Polytechnic of Namibia to learn to work with communities in a bottom up approach in planning. In
partnership with the Association of African Planning Schools Shack/ Slum Dwellers International,
communities design their own layouts in which the students learn how to work with communities. Land
Management students frequently intern with NHAG to familiarize themselves on collecting and managing
data and addressing community needs in planning. The federation created platforms were communities
and LAs learn from each other at a national and international level.
13. Challenges experienced and lessons learnt in these areas
The challenge that Namibia faces is that it shares a common history of apartheid colonialism and
consequent land use patterns in towns and cities. As a result similar issues of urban sprawl, low densities,
functional segregation between home and work as well as racial and class segregation are found. Despite
improvements in terms of service delivery and other developmental inputs to previously marginalized
areas, urban areas in Namibia remain marked by profound social divisions, which stem from apartheid
planning.
The speculative property and land markets in Namibia continue to undermine access to urban opportunity
and reinforce the highly inefficient urban sprawl characteristic of most urban areas in Namibia. This is in
part because of the importance of the formal property market and the practice of land auctions by local
authorities. While this is good for the income through land sales and property rates income for
municipalities, it has not served to address issues of affordable housing and access to decent shelter for
all.
Although significant efforts for land reform in the rural areas, there has been no substantial land reform or
security of tenure for the majority of Namibians in urban areas. The process of availing land and securing
tenure is still an enormous challenge facing the urban inhabitants and especially the urban poor. Informal
settlements increased and many LAs especially the capital city, are facing constraints in availing
sufficient opportunities for communities to develop their own land and secure tenure.
Current investment levels are insufficient to support higher economic growth, and maintenance
programmes, including the transport sector. An additional challenge will be to maintain or upgrade
15
existing infrastructure, use it optimally, and extend it effectively and efficiently, in line with the demands
of the economy.
22
The local government sector is faced with challenges such as poor or ineffective capacities at various
levels, which have resulted in most of the LAs not meeting the expectations f the people that they are
supposed to serve. In particular most LAs lack the necessary financial and technical capacity to plan and
deliver basic infrastructure and services. These capacity constraints, coupled with poor cadastral land
records system, cumbersome land approval and registration procedures and speculative conducts of the
private sector, negatively affect the supply of and access to serviced land and housing in Namibia in
general and for the poor in particular.
14. Future challenges and issues in these areas that could be addressed by a New Urban Agenda
The need for land and shelter far exceed the capacity to manage the town planning and land development,
causing serious bottlenecks and shortages in all segments, except the highest income bracket. There is
therefore a need to decentralize land use planning processes to Regional Councils (RCs) and LAs, as well
as invest in training and accreditation of specialized skills in land use, town planning, engineering,
surveying and cadastral technicians to fast track land delivery processes.
Urban Sprawl prevention needs to receive attention, alternative urban spatial models needs to be
explored. Informal settlements and existing households are already creating higher densities, as a strategy
to cater for high housing demand. Hence there is a need for suitable interventions to prevent urban
sprawl.
There is a need for flexibility in enforcing municipal by-laws in order to support urban livelihoods as a
principle of inclusive urban management. This implies that progressive approaches to the informal
economy should be adopted. Government needs to develop understandings and policies for the informal
economy that will enable LAs to manage it more coherently and also help enhance the sectors economic
potentials.
There is a need to recognize and strengthen the role of LAs, to enable them to tackle unemployment and
strengthen the local economy by taking on a more decisive leadership role and directing strategic policies
and investments. Additionally, government interventions are needed to entail financial and technical
support to LAs to enable them to provide water, electricity, urban land and other municipal services.
Importantly, extensive investment in transport infrastructure is needed to unlock the full potential of
economic corridors and to ensure efficient flow of factors of production.
Chapter III: Environment and Urbanization: Issues and Challenges for a New
Urban Agenda
15. Addressing climate change
Namibia has made significant strides with regards to the development of various environmental policies
and programs. Innovative clauses in the national constitution proclaim Namibias commitment to
sustainable development at the highest level and establish the framework for environmental protection. A
cornerstone in Namibias environmental policy formulation was the Green Plan presented by the founding
22
National Development Plan (NDP) 4
16
President to the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992. The Green Plan was the foundation of Namibias 12
Point Plan for Sustainable Development, which in turn, fed into the First National Development Plan
(NDP) (period 1995/1996 2000/2001). A wide range of actions have been taken into account, carefully
designed and integrated. These include amongst others:
23
· Environmental Management Act of December 2007, which establishes a set of fundamental
environmental plans such as sustainable use of natural resources, etc.
· Draft Pollution and Waste Management, which adopts an integrated pollution control approach
and establishes a multi-sectoral Pollution Control Board.
· A Concept note was developed for an urban Agenda 21 programme, which a phrase thereof was
included in the National Vision 2030 a detailed strategy of implementation needs to be drafted.
· State of the Environment Reports.
To strengthen its climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, Namibia adopted the National
Climate Change Policy in 2011. The Policy provides a framework for resource mobilisation for the
country to embark upon adaptation and mitigation measures. It calls for transfer of technology, capacity
building and the provision of financial resources, while promoting and enhancing synergies amongst
stakeholders across sectors. The National Climate Change Policy makes provision for international
cooperation, collaboration and networking. The Namibian Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan for
Namibia is also in place.
24
16. Disaster risk reduction
The Disaster Risk Management Act, of 2012 provide for the establishment of institutions for disaster risk
management in Namibia. One of its four main objectives is to provide for an integrated and coordinated
Disaster Risk Management (DRM) approach that includes a focus on preventing or reducing risks (as well
as emergency preparedness, response and recovery). Its provisions aim to incorporate Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR) as a priority within the DRM system at the national and local levels, as well as to
integrate DRR with development and include it in school education through the national and local
institutional mandates and structures. The Directorate of Disaster Risk Management is required to
facilitate and coordinate specific DRR strategies, while national focal persons in each government
institution are charged with facilitating training of their national and regional staff in DRR. Regional,
local and settlement DRM committees established by the Act are then mandated with similar
responsibilities.
Also, Namibia first established its National Disaster Risk Management System by executive regulation in
1994, triggered by the 1992/1993 drought emergency. Namibia then carried out a further review in line
with its commitments to DRR under the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015: Building the
Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters, beginning with the National DRM Policy of 2009,
which gave the Office of the Prime Minister overall responsibility for the operation of the national DRM
system and for maintaining the Directorate of DRM. On this basis, it then developed its DRM law to
update the system. Namibias 2012 law thus built on a process that had begun almost two decades earlier.
In Namibia, prior policy commitments were given a legal footing in the 2012 DRM law, which
establishes the National Disaster Fund. The Fund is administered by the National Disaster Risk
Management Committee, and draws its income from various sources. It serves as a contingency fund for
the development and promotion of DRM in Namibia, which is a broad mandate not specific to DRR.
23
UN-Habitat Namibia Country Programme Document 2008-209
24
SARUA Climate Change Counts mapping study: Namibia Country Report, May 2014
17
Namibia, like many other countries in the world is not immune to the negative impacts of recurrent
natural disasters such as floods and droughts on the livelihoods of its vulnerable communities. Such
disasters have, over the years, increased the communities risk to food insecurity, eroded their livelihood
coping capacities and significantly reduced their resilience.
Namibia successfully responded to the National drought situation in 2013/2014, has developed food
security monitoring system, disaster risk management plans and disaster standard operational procedures.
The country is in the process of developing Disaster Risk Management mainstreaming strategies.
In addition, with the introduction of the Fire Brigade Services Act, 2006 (Act No. 5 of 2006), the
Government, through the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, is obligated to subsidize the fire
brigade services of the local authorities. The Ministry has procured modern firefighting equipment for all
fifty two (52) local authorities in Namibia. The impact of this intervention is among others:
· An improvement in the capacity of Local Authorities to deal with and prevent fires and other
emergencies, thereby protecting the lives of people and reducing damage to properties; and
· Increased investor confidence to invest in our local authorities.
17. Reducing traffic congestion
On the national road network outside the boundaries of LAs, congestion is experienced mostly between
towns leading to and from Windhoek as well as other towns which are connected to the transport
corridors. It is also most experienced during festive seasons and during weekends. To address this, the
RA of Namibia has a medium to Long Term Road Master Plan (MLTRMP), which guides the RA on the
construction and maintenance of the national roads network. It also gives priority of roads that need to be
newly constructed, rehabilitated and maintained in order to promote availability of the road network to all
communities and businesses countrywide.
Statistics show that the transport system of Windhoek is characterised by very low density which makes
transportation expensive. 40% of all trips are made by taxis. Four percent make use of the municipal bus
services, 26% use private vehicles, 29% walk and one percent use bicycles.
25
The Namibia Bus and Taxi
Association of Namibia (NABTA) is the legally mandated transport association regulating the local
public transport sector.
The City of Windhoek operates the public passenger bus service but it has been established that it faces a
number of challenges that are addressed in the Master Plan. Chief among them is that services are not
readily accessible to the commuting public throughout the day. There are no shared or exclusive right of
way for bus operations and few non-motorised transport infrastructures.
25
The Namibian - business - general | 2013-07-31 ,Windhoek seeking solution to traffic gridlock, Chamwe Kaira
18
Figure 4: Traffic Jam High traffic volumes are the order of the day on Windhoek streets during the
morning and afternoon rush hours
18. Air pollution
Air pollution remains a threat to the global climate and human health, and it is an important
environmental problem in Africa, including Namibia. It consists of numerous harmful substances, some
of which are well known for their negative effects on the environment and on human health. Although
Africa has played a minor role in the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over the years
(SADC contributes about 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions), the course of Africa's future energy
consumption and land use practices will surely have a greater impact in the atmosphere in this century.
Generally, most power used in Namibia originates in South Africa. In fact Namibia imports 72% of its
domestic electricity consumption. At the moment there is no Act in Namibia that deals solely with air
pollution. There is the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Ordinance No. 11 of 1976, which has been
repealed. The only existing law regarding air pollution in Namibia has been included in the newly drafted
Pollution Control and Waste Management Bill, which is awaiting approval from Cabinet. There is
relatively little industry in Namibia, so generally air pollution is minimal. One form of air pollution is not
caused by human activity at all this is the mica dust that pervades the air in the Windhoek area around
August - October when there are high winds. A significant cause of air pollution is smoke from cooking
fires. This is mainly a concern in rural areas and informal settlements where cooking on wood fires is
most common. Smoke from cooking fires causes both respiratory problems and eye problems. Women
generally bear the brunt of these ill effects since they do most of the cooking. Another source of general
pollution is due to exhaust emissions from vehicles. These gases do contribute to global warming and are
carcinogens, but on a global scale pollution of this type is very minimal in Namibia
26
.
26
All of the above cited from: State of Environment Report on Waste Management and Pollution Control,
Appendix D pollution, August 2001
19
19. Challenges experienced and lessons learned in these areas
Climate change negatively affects economic and social development, especially with regard to food,
health and livelihood security; coastal and marine populations; and water recharge and availability.
Natural disasters are a feature of the Namibian landscape and this threat is likely to continue, not least
because climate change is making weather patterns less predictable and more extreme. Every year,
Namibian communities face devastating losses caused by floods, drought, forest and veldt fires, and
disease outbreaks. These hazards and their associated consequences have significant impacts on
communities, the economy, infrastructure and the environment, as well as Namibias development
priorities. Population growth, urbanization and industrialization also increase pollution and the release of
toxins into the urban environment.
Traffic congestion in Namibia, specifically in Windhoek is a nightmare that every motorist experiences
daily. It seems like there are more vehicles in the city and going to work in the morning or leaving work
in the afternoon one is very likely to get stuck in traffic and it doesn't matter whether one use a private car
or public transport. The traffic congestions are also compounded whenever there is an accident as many
suburbs only have one or two exit routes to industrial areas and the central business district.
Windhoek is growing at a rate of approximately 4.3% per year and within 20 years it is estimated that
Windhoek will have to cater to the transport needs of approximately 1 million residents. At the moment,
there are approximately 330,000 people living in Windhoek and more than half of them work in the city
centre while some learners travel to school in the city from Katutura and other suburbs every day. Apart
from public transportation, which consists of taxis and municipal buses, the number of private vehicles in
the city seems to be increasing daily as more and more people buy cars and traffic congestion gets worse
as most of these vehicles use the three main routes into town.
20. Future challenges and issues in these areas that could be addressed by a New Urban Agenda
Namibia has a good legislative framework regarding environmental management and requirements for
environmental impact assessment for key developments in LAs. This legislative frameworks need to be
integrated in the planning and development of LAs and the provision of shelter. There is a need to outline
a clear strategy for building Namibias resilience to climate change and promote the mainstreaming of
climate change considerations and responses into all relevant sector planning frameworks. This includes
applying and enforcing green building regulations and land use planning as well as to protect the
ecosystem and natural buffers to reduce the risk of floods and storm water surges.
In addition, increased urbanization will concentrate people in smaller areas as well as different land use
and buildings can increase risks of disasters affecting a larger group of people. This implies that towns
and cities need to invest strategically in disaster risk management. Disaster reduction is a cross-sectoral
issue, and therefore requires consciousness by all stakeholders in their daily activities. Given the
increasing regularity and severity of natural disasters, Namibian Government has recognised that a
national, coordinated and cooperative effort is required to enhance Namibias capacity to withstand and
recover from emergencies and disasters.
As regards to traffic congestion, various roads were identified to be upgraded to either dual carriage ways
or 2 + 1 roads in order to cater for the growing traffic along such road network, as well as to improve the
conditions of roads to contribute to the realization of Namibias Logistic Hub as aimed by the NDP4 and
Vision 2030. Those road projects will reduce the traffic congestion as well as promote economic growth
at the same time. Likewise, emphasis should be put on increasing public transport services, to include
various options of public transportation in such a way that even people who own cars can have the option
to leave their cars at home and rather take public transport.
20
Chapter IV: Urban Governance and Legislation: Issues and Challenges for a New
Urban Agenda
21. Improving urban legislation
The delimitation and governance of regions by Regional and Local Councils are effected in accordance
with Articles 102-111 of the Constitution. The Regional Councils Act 22 of 1992 and the Local
Authorities Act 23 of 1992 further regulate the establishment, powers, duties and functions of the
councils. The management and development role and functions of RCs are stipulated in section 28 of the
Regional Councils Act. These include: regional development planning in cooperation with the National
Planning Commission (NPC); the establishment, management and control of settlement areas; and
assisting Local Authority Councils in the exercise of their functions. All LAs (municipal, town and
village) are given certain automatic powers, but villages may exercise these powers only if the Minister of
Urban and Rural Development considers them ready to do so. Central government can step in to help
towns and villages that are having trouble providing adequate services to residents. The lack of
development in most towns undermines the town councils authority and ability to raise revenue from tax,
and thus could jeopardise their political legitimacy.
The government of Namibia has embarked on a reform of the local government since 2007. The local
authority reform is intended to: create a formal system of governance where central, regional and local
governments function as a cohesive whole to address common goals and national priorities; promote
inclusion and participation of all citizens in the development of their communities; strengthen the
capacity of local authorities to provide adequate, reliable and sustainable basic services to all; increase
accountability and transparency at the local level; strengthen the capacity of local authorities to forge
strategic, partnership and cooperation with other spheres of governments, the private sector and the NGO
community; provide opportunities for meaningful citizens participation in the development of their
communities; strengthen the institutional framework of local authorities to facilitate local economic
development including attracting investments.
27
22. Decentralization and strengthening of local authorities
Chapter 12, Article 102 of the Namibian Constitution provides the basis for Decentralization by providing
for the establishment of Regional and Local Governments. The Regional Council and Local Authorities
Act instituted the introduction and implementation of Decentralization in the country.
The Decentralization Policy in Namibia was officially launched on 30 March 1998. In the document it is
proposed that decentralization go through various stages with the ultimate aim being devolution. To
facilitate implementation of the Decentralization Policy, the government in 2000 passed the
Decentralization Enabling Act (No. 33 of 2000); the Local Authorities Amendment Act, 2000; the
Regional Councils Amendment Act, 2000; and the Trust Fund for Regional Development and Equity
Provision Act, 2000.
Decentralization seeks to transfer political, administrative, legislative, financial and planning authority
form the centre to regional and local authority councils. Political decentralization in Namibia seems to be
on the right track, since all the regional and local authority councils have a governmental character. The
27
Local government position paper, April 2013
21
municipalities have autonomy over their planning and financial matters. For the purpose of effective
implementation of decentralization the government has established different coordinating and
development committees, which are made up of relevant stakeholders, including representatives from
CBOs and NGOs. Therefore the grass roots groups of the peoples organizations have the opportunity to
negotiate and implement their programmes for sustainable development.
23. Improving participation and human rights in urban development
Chapter 3 of the Namibian Constitution contains the Bill of Rights, in which the fundamental human
rights and fundamental human freedoms are enshrined. The Bill of Rights provides for the enforcement
of fundamental human rights and freedoms, such as the right to both immovable and movable property,
the right to education, freedom to move freely throughout Namibia and to reside and settle in any part of
Namibia, and that the practice of racial discrimination and the practice and ideology of apartheid from
which the majority of the people of Namibia have suffered for so long shall be prohibited.
There are institutionalised structures in place in Namibia that facilitate and maximise citizens
participation in the affairs of their communities. This is a fundamental principle of local democracy that
promotes inclusion and enriches the discourse on issues affecting communities so that ensuing decisions
and development programmes reflect citizens preferences and priorities.
Likewise, Namibia since independence has ratified and acceded to various important international and
regional human rights conventions and treaties, among them the Vienna Convention on Human Rights,
Austria 1993. In 2013 Namibia was elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, an honour
which places a responsibility on Namibia to lead by exemplary example when it comes to respect for and
promotion of human rights.
28
In line with the Vienna Convention, government tasked its Ombudsman to
work out Namibia's first Human Rights Action Plan in 2009. As a result of such efforts, Namibia held its
first National Human Rights Conference that same year. The National Human Rights Action Plan of
Namibia was subsequently launched during 2014, which mainly focuses on rights in areas such as health,
education, housing, land, water and sanitation, access to justice and the right not to be discriminated
against. The plan will be implemented over a five year period, 2015 - 2019.
There are several measures in the Plan which coincided with already ongoing government development
programmes, one of which is to empower the people through public education and awareness campaigns,
with specific emphasis on access to quality public service. The emphasis placed on regulatory and
legislative reform under each section also resonates with government's ongoing efforts to repeal outdated
and discriminatory legal and policy instruments, which should be replaced with new and appropriate
legislative and policy instruments.
One of the key principles in the National Human Rights Action Plan to guide Namibias human rights
intervention over the five year period indicated above, is participation aimed at ensuring people exercise
their right to participate in decision-making regarding protection of their rights, while government will
also endeavour to engage and support the participation of civil society on human rights matters.
24. Enhancing urban safety and security
The Namibian Police Force is established as per the Namibia Constitution Article 118, in order to secure
the internal security of Namibia and to maintain law and order. Therefore the Police Act 19 of 1990 was
enacted. This Act provides for the establishment, organisation, administration, and powers and duties of
28
Namibia National Human Rights Action Plan, 2015 - 2016
22
the Namibian Police Force. It prescribes procedures to protect the internal security of Namibia and to
maintain law and order. It also regulates the appointment, promotion, discipline and discharge of
members of the Namibian Police Force. It replaces the Police Act 7 of 1958.
In recent years Namibia witnessed rapid urbanization, which has led to wild-fire-effect multiplication of
squatter settlements, and that has resulted in breeding grounds and hideout for criminals. This has thus
contributed significantly to the causes of crime. In dealing with these violent crimes the Namibian Police
has established several specialized units such as Commercial Crime Unit, Motor Vehicle theft Unit, Drug
Law Enforcement Unit, in order to ensure the prevention and combating of various crimes.
29
Various strategies have also been put in place to enhance safety and security especially in the urban areas.
Windhoek has a City Police in place. The City Police has adopted Community Oriented Policing and
Problem Solving as its core policing concept as outlined in its mission: "In partnership with the
community, render a reliable and efficient policing service through professional conduct, the application
of modern technology and sound management operational practices".
30
The increasing demand for land in Namibias urban centres after independence led to the realisation by
the Namibian Government that addressing tenure security in rural areas alone was not sufficient. It was
widely recognised that Namibia needed to implement a comprehensive national land reform that takes
into account different land needs and equitable access to land in both rural and urban areas. Land reform
was conceived as a means by which the Government would provide redress for past injustice and promote
development. These goals would be implemented through the restoration of land rights to those
dispossessed by segregation laws through a comprehensive land tenure reform programme. Therefore,
the Ministry of Land Reform has been mandated to plan, implement and oversee the land reform process
in Namibia. The Flexible Land Tenure System (FLTS) was developed as an innovative concept to
provide affordable tenure security for informal urban settlers.
25. Improving social inclusion and equity
The core focus of the national government through the Presidency is the focus on inclusion. It centres on
the mantra of no Namibian must be left out. LAs as the level of government closest to the people are
best placed to ensure that genuine social and economic inclusion happens on the ground. It is evident
that inclusive economic development is essential to creating jobs, generating higher incomes and creating
viable communities and nations.
Plans and Strategies to cater for all Namibians, especially for the poor have been put in place through
various stakeholders strategies, such as Governments Build Together Programme; Ministry of Land
Reform through surveying of blocks of land; the City of Windhoek Upgrading and Development Strategy
and the SDFN participatory land and shelter process. These initiatives supported the poor to access
resources, land and shelter in urban areas.
Education has been identified by NDP4 as a distinct enabler that can improve the quality of life and
address the labour market skills mismatch problem. Consequently, the Government has prepared the
National Human Development Plan 2010-2025 with Bank support and created the Human Resources
Development Council and Productivity Centre to help address the skills shortages across all sectors of the
economy. Namibia has made some progress towards the achievement of its Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs). Gender parity in primary school has been met while gender parity for secondary and
tertiary education is likely to be achieved in 2015.
29
Vision 2030
30
http://www.windhoekcc.org.na/depa_city_police_division1.php
23
Gender equality and the empowerment of women have been the cornerstones of Namibias development
agenda since its independent in 1990. Milestones include a gender-neutral Constitution that prohibits sex
discrimination, several gender-sensitive legislation and policies, and the ratification of key international
conventions and regional protocols aimed at eliminating discrimination against women and promoting
gender equality. To further enhance gender equality, the Government launched the revised National
Gender Policy 2010-2020 in March 2012 and updated the National Gender Plan of Action, both of which
are now aligned with the SADC Gender Protocol.
The Social Security Commission provide a foundation of social protection on the principles of solidarity
for workers in Namibia and their dependants. Since the beginning of the Social Security Commission
(SSC) in 1995, it has made substantial difference in the lives of ordinary workers and their dependants in
respect of earnings replacement due to eventualities arising from maternity leave, sick leave and death
and work related disabilities, injuries and loss of employment. The activities of the Commission are
guided by the Social Security Act, 1994 (Act 34 of 1994).
26. Challenges experienced and lessons learnt in these areas
Local government is faced with varied challenges such as inadequate financial resources, declining local
economies, capacity constraints, rural-to-urban migration, and dilapidated physical infrastructure.
Consequently, despite the establishment of regional and local governments, central government
institutions continue the planning and implementation of basic services at regional and local level, in
some cases resulting in parallel efforts. Moreover, a predominant top-down approach in development
planning has always deprived regional and local governments from prioritizing local needs. The
implementation of the decentralization reform is moving at a slow space and therefore has weakened the
ability of sub-national governments to timely and effectively respond to local needs as decision-making
powers remain centralized.
Cases of murder, rape and armed robbery continued to pose a serious threat to individuals in Namibia.
The prime root causes of crime include socio-economic factors, such as poverty, alcoholism and drug
abuse. Crime also appears to be inextricably linked to undignified or inhuman conditions of living.
People without dignified living standards tend to be more vulnerable to crime. Poor people also engage
in theft simply in order to make a living.
In addition, Namibia informal settlements formalization of tenure has been slow, and many people
experience insecure tenure as a result, although to some extent the anti-eviction directive from Cabinet
protects them. Tenure complexity is also related to a certain extent to whether or not land is urban or
rural. Urban and rural areas are inextricably linked, with informal settlement in urban areas often serving
as reception areas for new migrants from rural areas.
27. Future challenges and issues in these areas that could be addressed by a New Urban Agenda
Local government has an important role to play in the provision of access to conveniently located land,
services, housing and the benefits of urban life. Even with limited resources and capacity constraints,
local government can significantly improve the lives of all residents through participatory and integrated
approach. Improving urban legislation is therefore indispensable for ensuring delivery of adequate basic
services to the communities. Improving the content of legislation and its responsiveness to local realities,
should take into account the voices of affected groups and communities, making legislation simple, clear,
and accessible, and ensuring that it can deliver results. A key issue that needs to be addressed in terms of
managing the complexities of urban habitat and shelter governance is the need to manage the
24
intergovernmental dynamics and relationships within the city, relations with the RCs and with
neighbouring LAs. LAs face the challenge of managing multiple fiscal, political and accountability
tensions in order to fulfil their development and growth mandates.
Crime and violence is not only a criminal justice and security issue but has deep social and economic
roots and consequences. Namibian towns and cities offer many opportunities, such as access to better
services, employment, social development and vibrant public places, but that also increase opportunities
for crime and violence. Drivers of violence and crime include a combination of factors, such as poverty,
inequality, economic exclusion, unemployment, weak governance, rapid urbanization, poor urban design
and the larger phenomenon of socio-spatial segregation and exclusion due to apartheid era planning.
Women, children and young people are the most vulnerable to the threat of and exposure to violence.
Creating safer and more equitable cities and town requires new strategies to promote inclusion of
marginalized or vulnerable groups. When planning, the following interventions are needed:
· Look at how public transport facilities, as well as streets and roads, can be designed and managed
to promote safety;
· Harness the energies of various stakeholders to create safe spaces;
· Foster partnerships, between government and community organizations, non-governmental
organization and the private sector;
· Implement focused prevention techniques, through intra-governmental co-ordination and inter-
governmental collaboration.
Chapter V: Urban Economy: Issues and Challenges for a New Urban Agenda
28. Improving municipal/ local finance
Without contradiction, revenues are the life-line of local government and, as such every effort must be
made to maximise their collection.
31
The Local Authorities Act 1992 stipulates the following as revenue
sources for local government in Namibia: Electricity Supply; Water supply; Property tax; Sewerage
charges; Development charges; Licence/permits; Rental of council facilities; Interest on investments; Sale
of immovable property; Central government transfers; Penalty on rateable property; Commercial
activities; and Donations from bilateral and international organisations. Trading services, in which LAs
provide services such as electricity and water to citizens on behalf of the bulk suppliers, have been a
major source of revenue.
Furthermore, the Government has been and still is assisting LAs to provide services to their communities
and for them to remain functional. In Namibia collection rates vary; for Part I Municipalities intake
fluctuates between 60-75%, for Part II Municipalities and towns the collection rate is about 50% and 30%
for villages.
32
Nonetheless, for most LAs these revenue sources are inadequate and some LAs utilize
funding intended for development purposes for operational matters. While this is an unacceptable public
management practice and should be discouraged, it reflects the desperate measures that some LAs have
resorted to, so as to maintain functionality. This situation has also affected their ability to meet financial
obligations to the suppliers, namely, NamWater and NamPower, often resulting in suspension or
termination of services.
31
Local Government Reform Position Paper, April 2013: Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural
Development
32
Local Government Reform Position Paper, April 2013: Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural
Development
25
29. Strengthening and improving access to housing finance
Namibia inherited a much skewed pattern of settlement development at the time of independence, as a
result of the homeland policies followed by the colonial government.
33
Urban human settlements were
segregated with migrant labour residing in all-male overcrowded hostels, whilst the majority of the
population resided in the rural areas and lacked physical infrastructure and decent housing.
34
To improve
access to housing, the government undertook multiple courses of action, which consist of various legal
instruments, housing finances schemes and housing construction programmes. These efforts mainly
focus on enhancing access to housing among middle, low and ultra-low income groups while housing to
middle and high income groups is mainly financed through commercial banks. Bank Windhoek,
Nedbank, First National and Standard Bank are the four commercial banks in Namibia. Property and/or
land prices are determined by market forces according to the willing buyer/willing seller principle.
35
In
addition to policies and programmes, the Government also avails funding from the central budget to
speed up land and housing delivery in the country. The following are the various social housing
programmes implemented since independence:
· The Build Together Programme (BTP) is the key programme through which Government has
attempted to deliver housing to low and ultra-low income groups in Namibia. This programme is
implemented at the regional and local authority levels, which disburses loans for building new
houses and/or upgrading existing homes. The loan values range from N$3,000 to N$40,000 with
a repayment period capped at 20 years and is geared towards individuals earning less than
N$3,000 per month. The interest rate attached to these loans ranges between 4% and 7%.
Nonetheless, due to an increase in the costs of building materials, the loan amounts have become
insufficient for housing construction and therefore need to be revised upwards to reflect prevailing
market conditions.
36
· National Housing Enterprise (NHE) is dedicated towards providing housing finance and
constructing houses for individuals in the low and middle income brackets. The NHE loan sizes
vary, and are disbursed as various financing products. The loan repayment period ranges between
20 to 30 years.
· The SDFN is a non-governmental savings organisation comprising of various housing groups,
which assists its members to obtain land and infrastructure for housing purposes. The SDFN
provides members with loans ranging from a minimum of N$8,000 to N$26,000, with the main
determining factor of the loan value being the ability to repay the loan. The loans are repayable
within a period of 11 years at an interest rate of 0.5 percent per month. However, in order to
qualify for a loan, a member is expected to provide an advance payment equivalent to five percent
of the loan amount. The SDFN solicits funding from its savings schemes, the Central
Government, local private companies and international donors.
A company, First Capital Housing Fund was also established in 2011 with an initial investment from the
Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) to pioneer a new way of providing home loans to people
with low income, government employees and GIPF members to enable them acquire and develop
affordable housing. The Fund is aimed at financing construction of new houses, renovations and
purchase of houses for all qualifying borrowers.
33
Namibia National Plan of Action, March 1996
34
Overview of the housing finance sector in Namibia commissioned by the Finmark Trust with support from Habitat for
Humanity: Namene Kalili, Jonathan Andongo and Taylor Larson: Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit, November 2008
35
Bank of Namibia 13
th
Annual Symposium 2011: Housing in Namibia: Has the situation changed 21 years after
independence
36
ibid
26
30. Supporting local economic development
The introduction of Local Economic Development (LED) in Namibia is relatively new with earlier efforts
by local authorities in terms of involvement in economic development and growth activities being limited
to the provision of service land for business and industrial premises development purposes.
37
The Local
Economic Development Agency (LEDA) came into being with the launch of the Namibian LED White
Paper in July 2011. The agency supports the decentralised Namibian government authorities in creating
enabling business environments.
From the year 2011, the Government with the support of Germanys GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit, - German Society for International Cooperation, Ltd.), assisted and
supported a total of 38 RCs and LAs to develop their LED policies and strategies. Most of these are
already being implemented and bearing fruits for the respective RCs and LAs, in terms of investment
interests, employment and income generation. Other activities undertaken and results achieved are:
· Capacity building in the form of five (5) annual LED conferences and training workshops;
· Establishment and institutionalization of three (3) regional LED forums in the Southern, Central
and Northern parts of Namibia that serve to leverage the potential of peer-knowledge-exchange
and initiate cross-town and regional LED initiatives, as well as to identify and discuss concrete
solutions and interventions to address common LED challenges in the respective localities;
· Studies carried out on among other the impact of Public Private Dialogues (PPDs) among business
owners in Namibia and benchmarking of LED initiatives; and
· Development of PPD implementation guidelines to guide LED practitioners in Namibia on how to
conduct PPD engagements successfully
31. Creating decent jobs and livelihoods
Namibia has taken the lead in promoting decent work since independence. The following legislative
frameworks, policies and programmes have been developed:
Labour Act no 11 of 2007 with the purpose of;
· Establishing a comprehensive labour law for all employers and employees.
· To regulate basic terms and conditions employment
· To ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees
· To regulate collective labour relations
Collective minimum wage agreements
These agreements are in place in sectors such as agriculture, security, construction and domestic work.
The purpose of the collective agreement for a minimum wage are to improve the living standard of
employees; to reduce poverty; to maintain social peace; to ensure income levels are above the breadline;
and to curb and prevent exploitation employees in the sectors mentioned.
Namibia Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2010 2014)
Decent Work Country Programmes have been established as the main vehicle for delivery of International
Labour Organisation (ILO) support to countries. DWCPs have two basic objectives. They promote
decent work as a key component of national development strategies. At the same time they organise ILO
37
LEDNA LED Stocktaking Survey: Report on the state of LED for Namibia: June 2008
27
knowledge, instruments, advocacy and cooperation at the service of tripartite constituents in a results-
based framework to advance the Decent Work Agenda within the fields of comparative advantage of the
Organization. Tripartism and social dialogue are central to the planning and implementation of a
coherent and integrated ILO programme of assistance to constituents in member States.
Namibia Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) owes a lot to the numerous contributions received
principally from the government, the Social Partners and other national stakeholders. The consultation
process with the constituents for a DWCP for Namibia was initiated during 2007 through a series of
consultations with the government and social partners in Namibia. In November 2008 the ILO held its
first consultation with national constituents in Windhoek to verify the ILO country situational analysis
report on decent work. Based on the report and the major decent work deficits were identified The
Constituents prioritized employment promotion, HIV/AIDS, social security and strengthening social
dialogue, as the main areas in need of support. These have provided a basis for developing the Namibia
DWCP. Some of the prominent achievements obtained under the Decent Work Country Programme
include:
· Namibias Second National Employment Policy 2013/2014-2016/2017 was launched in October
2013;
· Child labour issues are mainstreamed into policies and labour legislation, and child labour projects
are carried out to address child labour problems;
· HIV/AIDS in the workplace policies and tools developed and implemented.
32. Integration of the urban economy into national development policies
Economic growth in Namibia started to improve considerably after independence, but the level of growth
has not been sufficient to address the many social iniquities facing the country. In addition, although
gross domestic investment improved remarkably, the level has remained insufficient to spur higher rates
of economic growth needed to reduce poverty and the high unemployment rate. Major investment
projects, with the potential to create jobs, are often held up by simple bottlenecks in water, electricity or
transport infrastructure, or inadequate local skills. At the same time many LAs barely communicate with
the business community or other economic stakeholders (because they are preoccupied with their own
internal activities), and also lack technical capacity for facilitating economic development.
Sometimes the spatial pattern of investment is somewhat haphazard, with investment driven where
developers can access cheap land or infrastructure, rather than planned from a socio-economic and
environmental perspective. This is because LAs are not equipped or determined enough to decide on the
most appropriate locations for business and industrial development in their city or town. Part of the
challenge is the disjoint, and sometimes contradiction, between national (macro) economic policy and
local economic development planning.
The other challenge is that instead of seeing the informal sector as a source of livelihoods and a training
ground for nurturing future enterprises, it tends to be dismissed as undesirable, marginal and survivalist,
and therefore of little economic consequence. Cities are more inclined to restrict the activities of informal
traders, rather than to help them to grow and diversify. There is insufficient experimentation with
community-based enterprises and the social economy as a way to develop local skills and provide useful
services e.g. in townships and informal settlements recycling waste, renovating homes, installing cheap
energy systems, and caring for children and elderly people.
28
33. Challenges experienced and lessons learnt in these areas
For various reasons including lack of capacity, strategy, enforcement, among others, some LAs are unable
to maximise revenue collection and therefore suffer income shortfalls. Consequently, they are unable to
honour some of their financial obligations and to fulfil their service delivery mandates as expected. Some
LAs carry a huge debt burden, part of which they have inherited from the pre-independence era and
another portion from the inability of the unemployed and/or indigent people to pay for services provided
to them. This is further exacerbated by the narrow revenue base of these local authorities.
Furthermore, the Namibian housing sector is characterized primarily by limited financial support for the
low income groups as well as limited capacity to the demand for land and housing development. By
2007, the country faced a backlog of 80,000 households in dire need of housing and there are reasons to
believe that this figure has increased since then, as manifested in the growing number of informal
settlements on the outskirts of most towns in the country.
38
The main factor contributing to the housing
shortage is the shortfall in housing supply which failed to keep up with growing demand over the years.
39
The housing shortfall is further amplified by the prevailing high unemployment rate, rising house prices
and growing urbanisation in the country, amongst others.
40
Income inequality has also remained one of the most pervasive challenges facing Namibia, this is further
compounded by high unemployment and the growing wage gap between skilled and unskilled labour.
This inequality continues to entrench economic marginalisation and produces spatial poverty traps. A
large number of households do not have access to services and are concentrated in informal settlements in
cities and in peri- urban areas.
34. Future challenges and issues in these areas that could be addressed by a New Urban Agenda
Making interventions to enhance the revenue capability of local authorities is necessary. These should
include the development of a feasible intergovernmental fiscal transfer modality and building the capacity
of local authorities to increase tax compliance and revenue collection. Additionally, clear policy
guidelines for investment, credit control and borrowing should be developed. Guidance should also be
provided on ways and means of harnessing the social capital that exists in communities for the benefit of
local government development. This untapped resource has the potential to make a significant
contribution to local government development.
Several auctions by local authorities have proved that land is auctioned off at artificial prices, which
reduce the ability of middle and low income households to access the formal housing market. To that
effect, auctioning of land for excessive gains should be prohibited as it leads to inflated prices.
Alternatively, such auctions should be exclusively limited to high income residential areas. Central
Government should also avail more funds to housing initiatives to address the plight of low income
households. Several legal instruments need to be introduced to curb rising house prices in the country.
This will reduce speculative activity and standardise valuations in the housing market.
There is also a need to recognize the fact that different towns, villages and cities face different challenges.
Whereas the challenge for bigger cities may be to recognize and strengthen their role in economic
planning, smaller towns and villages face their own peculiar challenges. Some towns face the challenge
of being depended on one or key economic sectors (and so vulnerable to economic or policy shocks),
38
Bank of Namibia 13
th
Annual Symposium 2011: Housing in Namibia: Has the situation changed 21 years after
independence?
39
ibid
40
Bank of Namibia 13th Annual Symposium 2011: Housing in Namibia: Has the situation changed 21 years after
independence?
29
poor relations in governance and management, and weak relations between government and non-
government organizations and between government and business. Sometimes there are often weak
strategic and spatial planning capabilities, inadequate municipal infrastructure and maintenance, which
prevents them from expanding their economic base. LAs with large rural populations can also experience
tensions between elected local councils and traditional leaders.
There is a need to strengthen local authority institutional capacity in economic development because
compared to other municipal functions, economic development required different skills and competences,
in particular organizational capacity to engage with external role players and champion local interests.
Other capabilities needed include strategic leadership, economic literacy, networking, partnership-
building and negotiation with wider interests, to ensure that job-creating investment is championed, while
ensuring that proper balance is given to economic objectives alongside environmental and social
considerations. Municipalities should consider appointing economists, project facilitators and people
with appropriate business experience.
At the same time, the production structure and capabilities of smaller towns and villages need to be
strengthened, to allow them to play an increased role in local economic development. The potential
ability of small towns to act as catalysts for rural economic development is intimately linked to the
quality of available infrastructure and the local enterprise sector.
There need to be recognition that there is no silver bullet solution to the unemployment crisis, and that
both the government and the private sector have important roles to play, often best achieved by working
together or through intermediaries. LAs should be enabled to tackle unemployment and strengthen the
local economy by taking on a more decisive leadership role and directing strategic policies and
investment.
Chapter VI: Housing and Basic Services: Issues and Challenges for a New Urban
Agenda
35. Slum upgrading and prevention
The accelerated influx of migrants into the main urban areas after independence caused progressive
settlement growth on open LAs owned land as well as considerable housing and servicing problems for
many LAs. This situation also provoked a dramatic increase of informal settlement in Windhoek, mostly
in Katutura; many living in overcrowded conditions in Katutura moved onto vacant land nearby and many
migrants from impoverished rural areas joined them.
41
41
A place we want to call our home: A study on land tenure policy and securing housing rights in Namibia, by Legal
Assistance Centre (LAC), 2005
30
Figure 4: Informal Settlement area in Windhoek
Government assisted through the Informal Settlement Upgrading Sub-programme, under the Build
Together Programme (BTP), whereby small LAs and RCs were assisted with funding in the provision of
basic services such as, water, roads, sewerage and electrical reticulation in informal settlement areas.
Community Land Information Programme (CLIP)
Since there was insufficient information about communities living in informal settlements in most of the
LAs, RCs, as well as the Central government, SDFN/NHAG supported by the MURD and Shack/ Slum
Dwellers International (SDI) initiated the CLIP, to collect information about the existing informal
settlements in Namibia.
According to the CLIP, there are 134,884 households (population of 541,119) that leave in informal
settlements. This translates into 25% of the Namibian population, which indicate a significant challenge
facing urban development (CLIP, 2009). It is further ascertained that another major concern is the
sanitation situation, while most of the settlements have access to clean water through communal taps,
33% of the estimated households use the bush or open air as toilets, while half of the informal
settlement indicated that they have no toilets.
This information assists communities to determine their priority needs and start to take actions with their
local authorities to address these needs. The planning studios in Gobabis Freedom Square resulted in a
new layout planned by the community and will form the basis for the upgrading of the informal
settlement. Greenwell Matongo C in Windhoek also planned for and upgraded their informal settlement.
Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP)
Namibia joined the PSUP in 2012. The programme is partly funded by the European Union and UN-
Habitat. The overall objective of the PSUP is to contribute to the improvement of the living conditions of
the urban poor and to contribute to Millennium Goal (MDG) 7 (Ensure environmental sustainability),
including: target C, to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking
water and basic sanitation; and, target D, to achieve a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100
million slum dwellers by 2020.
Phase I produced urban profiles giving a detailed understanding of the issues in selected areas. Profiles
were completed, in Walvis Bay Municipality, Opuwo Town Council and Aroab Village Council. Phase II
of the PSUP comprises the Action Planning and Programme formulation, for preparation of Phase III that
will involve the implementation of some tangible projects identified.
31
36. Improving access to adequate housing
The Namibian government identified housing as one of the priority areas of development. Government
commitment to address the housing needs of all Namibians led to the formulation and adoption of the first
National Housing Policy, approved by Cabinet in 1991. The policy clearly states that the role of
government is to facilitate and promote partnership between all relevant public and private parties
concerned with the delivery of land, shelter and human settlement development. The policy was
reviewed and updated in 2009. Facilitating affordable, durable, adequate, and qualitative housing outputs
in order to shelter as many Namibians as possible is a fundamental emphasis of the policy, hence it
advocates the imperative of aggressive mobilization of domestic savings, government subventions,
exploring alternative building materials and technologies, and supporting people housing processes
(peoples own contributions) to enable Namibia to provide more and affordable housing to her people.
42
The National Housing Policy is implemented with the assistance of public and private sectors, and civil
society. The National Housing Policy also provided a guideline where various instruments and strategies
need to be formulated.
The National Housing Development Act was promulgated in 2000. The act makes provision for amongst
others the establishment of the National Housing Advisory Committee, and the establishment of Housing
Revolving Funds by LAs and RCs.
The following are various initiatives in the provision of housing in Namibia:
Build Together Programme (BTP)
The BTP was initiated and administered since 1992/1993 financial year countrywide by the Namibian
government. This is a self-help programme whereby individuals as beneficiaries are required to construct
their houses with assistance of their families or hire builders; as well as housing provision to social
welfare cases; and provision of basic services to the communities. The programme benefits households
with an income of N$3,000 or less per month. The BTP was delegated to the RCs/ LAs from 1998/1999
financial year. Since 1996, this programme benefited 18,210 households. The BTP was awarded the
Habitat Scroll of Honour in 1993 and World Habitat Award in 1994. The aim of these awards
correspondingly, is to honour individuals and institutions instrumental in improving the living conditions
in urban centres; as well as recognizing institutions that provide practical, innovative and sustainable
solutions to current housing needs, which are capable of being transferred or adapted for use elsewhere.
Mass Housing Development Programme (MHDP)
The MHDP was initiated during 2013 to address the housing backlog in Namibia. The target of the
programme is that over a period of 17 years, a total of 185,000 houses will be constructed up to 2030.
Therefore, an average of 10,278 houses is expected to be constructed per annum. Phase I of the MHDP
that commenced during the 2014/2015 financial year is implemented by the National Housing Enterprise
(NHE) for a two-year period.
Habitat Research and Development Centre
This is a centre established under the auspices of the MURD to experiment with alternative and locally
available building materials. The aim is to reduce the cost of building materials in the construction of
houses especially to the low and ultra-low income households of Namibia.
42
Republic of Namibia, Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development: Namibia National
Housing Policy: Cabinet Approved 1991, Reviewed 2009.
32
Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
Housing activities of CBOs increased after independence. The SDFN/NHAG and other CBOs has been
actively working with low-income communities to establish saving schemes in order to assist with the
servicing of land and construction of houses. SDFN has constructed more than 4,000 houses through a
community managed process. SDFN contributed savings and their own labour in the moulding of bricks
and some aspects of the construction of their houses, enabling the very poor to participate in and benefit
from the process. 19,000 more SDFN members are participating in the savings, following the example of
the saving groups. This programme has proven itself over the years as a credible community led
programme for delivering housing to the poor. For instance the Twahangana Fund established by the
Federation after the Habitat II Conference in 1996 expanded to respond to the needs of the communities
and assisted more than 7,900 households with N$84.6 million as at June 2015. The Fund itself has also
availed N$4.7 million for 2264 households to improve their incomes. Government as from the year 2000
has contributed N$23,129,000 to the Twahangana Fund.
National Housing Enterprise (NHE)
NHE is a state-owned company of the Government under the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development.
Its accountability to the MURD was formalised by the NHE Act of 1993 (Act No 5 of 1993) as amended.
NHE core business is providing housing needs to low and middle income inhabitants of Namibia and
financing of housing for such inhabitants. This involves: land acquisition from LAs; housing
construction; and provision of housing loans. NHE builds on average 660 houses per year.
37. Ensuring sustainable access to safe drinking water
According to the 2011 Census, almost all urban households have access to safe water (98%) in the form
of piped water inside or outside their dwellings, or from public pipes or boreholes. 59% of rural
households share the same privilege, but 16% of rural households rely on unsafe water from rivers or
streams and another 13% on unsafe water in unprotected wells. The first Water Supply and Sanitation
Policy (WASP) was adopted in 1993. As recommended in the WASP, the Namibian Water Corporation
Limited (NamWater) a State owned Enterprise was established as the major bulk water supplier. The
Directorate of Rural Water supply (DRWS) was also established in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water
and Rural Development (MAWRD) to improve access to safe water of communities in rural, communal
areas. The 1993 WASP was reviewed and replaced by the WASP of 2008. Its principles are in line with
Integrated Water Resources management (IWRM) including a strong focus on Water Demand
Management (WDM).
43
The Water and Sanitation Sector is entrusted with a task of setting up the necessary countrywide facilities
to ensure an increased supply of clean water (through the construction of dams, desalination plants, and
boreholes) to all citizens of Namibia and for industrial development purposes.
44
The focus of the Sector
is to reach 100% population coverage of potable or safe drinking water by 2017. The major projects
undertaken are as follows:
· Commenced with the construction of the Neckartal Dam;
· Completed the project designs for the new Divundu pipeline scheme ad treatment plant;
· Project design for the work on the Kalkveld supply scheme started, which stands at 80%;
· The Community Based Management Drilling and Cleaning of Boreholes Project resulted in the
drilling of 237 boreholes, exceeding the targeted 195 in the quest to mitigate the effects of the
recent drought;
43
Namibia Water Supply and Sanitation Policy: October 2008
44
Namibia 4
th
Bi-Annual Report on NDP4: October 2013 to March 2014: NPC May 2014
33
· With respect to water supply subsidies in urban areas, the Sector achieved 76% payment to
subsidise water supply to low-income communities as planned.
45
The Water Resources Management Act, 2013 was also enacted to provide for the management,
protection, development, use and conservation of water resources; to provide for the regulation and
monitoring of water services and to provide for incidental matters.
38. Ensuring sustainable access to basic sanitation and drainage
Poor sanitation and inadequate access to safe water are public health concerns because they create
conditions conducive to the spread of disease.
46
It is a fact that sanitation plays a pivotal role in
economic development of a country because improved sanitation facilities contribute significantly to the
health of the population, which in turn drives the nations economy.
47
Therefore, the need for potable
water supplies and basic sanitation services in Namibia was identified at independence as one of the
major basic essential needs of which the Nation, amongst others people living in informal settlements,
had been deprived.
It is indicated in the 2011 Census that 49% households in Namibia have no private toilet facility while
close to 40% have one or another type of flush toilet. Various flush toilets are common in urban areas
and use by about 69% of households, while three out of four households in rural areas do not have any
toilet facilities. About 10% of households use pit latrines with a slightly higher share in rural than urban
households. The bucket system is more common in the Hardap region (6%) than anywhere else.
Area Households Private
flush
connected
to main
sewer
Shared
flush
connected
to main
sewer
Private
flush
connected
to septic/
cesspool
Shared
flush
connected
to septic/
cesspool
Pit latrine
with
ventilation
pipe
Covered
pit latrine
without
ventilation
pipe
Uncovered
pit latrine
without
ventilation
pipe
Bucket
toilet
No
toilet
facility
Other
Namibia
Urban
Rural
Caprivi
Erongo
Hardap
Karas
Kavango
Khomas
Kunene
Ohangwena
Omaheke
Omusati
Oshana
Oshikoto
Otjozondjupa
464 839
228 955
235 884
21 283
44 116
19 307
20 988
36 741
89 438
18 495
43 723
16 174
46 698
37 284
37 400
33 192
24.8
44.4
5.8
10.4
45.8
40.2
41.1
7.5
48.6
16.2
3.0
23.3
3.7
16.0
9.4
33.0
11.7
21.2
2.5
2.1
33.4
6.3
18.0
2.7
24.2
7.0
2.6
6.5
1.5
5.2
4.8
11.2
1.6
1.4
1.9
0.3
1.8
6.0
2.7
1.0
1.1
2.3
1.0
2.8
0.7
2.1
1.6
2.0
1.4
1.7
1.1
0.4
1.6
2.0
2.4
0.5
2.3
1.8
0.7
1.6
0.4
1.6
1.4
1.3
4.3
3.6
4.9
4.4
3.2
1.2
3.7
5.0
1.3
4.3
5.5
1.5
6.5
11.6
3.4
4.2
3.2
2.2
4.2
1.5
1.9
1.9
2.9
3.0
1.3
1.8
3.2
1.0
4.7
8.8
5.3
3.7
1.8
1.4
2.2
0.8
0.8
0.8
1.5
3.1
0.5
1.0
1.7
0.6
2.5
4.4
3.0
2.8
1.8
1.3
2.3
0.7
0.6
6.2
3.5
1.9
0.6
1.7
2.1
1.1
1.7
3.5
1.8
2.1
48.6
22.4
74.0
73.5
10.6
34.9
23.3
74.7
19.9
63.2
80.0
60.2
77.9
46.4
68.9
38.9
0.7
0.4
1.0
6.0
0.3
0.4
0.7
0.5
0.4
0.7
0.3
1.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.8
Table 3: Percent distribution of household by type of main toilet facility
48
39. Improving access to clean domestic energy
The Government, through the Ministry of Mines and Energy is promoting renewable energies, especially
solar energy, through Solar Shops and the Solar Revolving Fund. The solar revolving fund subsidises
45
ibid
46
Namibia 2011 Population & Housing Census Main Report
47
Namibia Sanitation Strategy 2010/11 2014/15: September 2009
48
Namibia 2011 Population & Housing Census Main Report
34
solar home systems in remote areas. At the same time, the concept of the solar shops will help to ensure
that solar equipment and technology can be easily distributed and available throughout the country.
To reach this objective, the Ministry and the Renewable Energy and Efficiency Institute are working with
existing distributors and hardware shops. The latter are offered the opportunity to become official
distributors of solar equipment and are eligible to receive subsidises loans for the stocking and
warehousing of technology. There are 108 shops planned, the first of which opened in 2011
49
.
40. Improving access to sustainable means of transport
The RA use Regional Road Master Plans which were established to cater for regional needs. Through
this plans, the Authority is able to implement road projects which increases access of communities to
roads; improve tracks to gravel roads to allow easy access to communities especially to schools, clinics,
churches, market places and promote trade. Through these regional plans, communities through the
Constituency Councillors, Regional Councils and Road Board meeting, road projects are recommended to
the RA which has greater economic and social benefits in such communities.
At the current stage, there are various road projects which are upgraded to gravel road standards
especially in the northern regions and the purpose is to increase sustainable access to road by
communities and be able to live within 2km away from the road. This will improve sufficiently, the level
at which communities in remote areas can easily travel from one place to another.
41. Challenges experiences and lessons learnt in these areas
Despite the many components provided in the National Housing Policy and the awareness of the issues
within government, few elements of the policy have been taken forward and little has been achieved in
the last twenty years to clear the backlog in housing.
50
The housing sector is also constraint through lack
of available serviced land, which is both slowing down the process of housing delivery and pushing up
prices of serviced land. In addition, although housing is considered as one of the priority areas of
development, there is a challenge of limited funding allocated to housing provision in the country as
compared to other areas. Access to affordable land and credit facilities for the low-income groups is also
one of the major constraints to the housing process. The cost of conventionally serviced land serviced
land is unaffordable to most low-income groups under the present planning and land infrastructure
regimes.
Provision of water and sanitation facilities to residents, especially in the informal settlements where
people relieve themselves in the open, is still a challenge for Namibia. When nature calls, people in the
said areas are forced to use any open space available thereby exposing themselves to passers-by or
sometimes hold their bladders and bowels until nightfall, and then venture into the nearby fields under
cover of darkness. This situation is particularly challenging for women and girls who lack privacy and
facilities for hygiene management. Diarrhoea and other infections like worms due to lack of safe drinking
water and proper sanitation accounts for about half of ill-health and under-nutrition in children.
49
Green Economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, lessons learned from Benin, Ethiopias, Ghana. Namibia and Nigeria, GIZ (2013)
50
Housing Policy and Delivery in Namibia, by Els Sweeney-Bindels: Institute for Public Policy Research.
35
42. Future challenges and issues in these areas that could be addressed by a New Urban Agenda
Experience both in Namibia and elsewhere in Africa shows that while there are different options for low
income housing, on-site upgrading has proven in various context to be the best option as it is the least
expensive, most humane way of enhancing a citys much needed housing stock of affordable housing.
The experiences of both the Built Together Program and the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia has
confirmed that the full involvement of women is the best guarantee that any housing project will succeed
as women are most concerned about housing conditions for their families. Housing delivery should not
just concern itself with increasing the number, but must aim at creating a sustainable human habitat and
environment. The issue of secure tenure for low income groups, especially informal settlers has to be
addressed, as the process of housing for these groups depends much on security of tenure.
While giving priority to the rural communal areas, it is equally essential to maintain and improve the
present water supply and sanitation overage levels in urban areas to address the current and future
accelerated urban population growth particularly in informal settlements. The exceptionally rapid influx
of people to the urban areas will require accelerated expenditure on water supplies and sanitation
infrastructure development to provide essential services and to prevent spread of diseases in high density
urban areas. With the growing lower income urban target group in mind, efforts should also be aimed at
making low cost improved sanitation solutions for urban sanitation more attractive, along with the
augmentation of existing infrastructure capacities for those who can afford it.
36
Chapter VII: Urban Indicators
Data required for this section is for 1996, 2006 and 2013, when possible disaggregated by gender.
However, data for most of those years is not available.
i. Percentage of people living in slums
1993/1994: 10% - the frequency of improvised housing, frequently in squatter camps is about the same
in rural and urban areas. It is somewhat more common for male headed households to live
in single quarters or improvised housing. (Namibia Household Income and Expenditure
Survey NHIES)
2003/2004: 27% - improvised housing is typically associated with informal settlements; 27% urban
dwelling are improvised compared to 10% in rural areas (NHIES)
2009/2010: 30% live in improvised houses (female 27.9% and male 31.5%)
ii. Percentage of urban population with access to adequate housing
1993/1994: 80% of the households (urban) live in modern housing. The distribution of the households
on different types of houses is basically the same for female-headed and male-headed
households (NHIES)
2003/2004: 65% of households in urban areas live in modern dwellings, especially in Khomas, 69%
and Erongo, 66%
iii. Percentage of people residing in urban areas with access to safe drinking water
2011: 98% have access to safe water in the form of piped water inside or outside their dwellings, or from
public pipes or boreholes
2013: 97.8% of urban population using an improved water source, compared to 71.9% for rural. The
total for Namibia is 84.0% (Namibia Demographic and Health Survey NDHS
iv. Percentage of people residing in urban areas with access to adequate sanitation
2013: 57.8% of the population living in urban areas have access to water borne sewerage and 13.3% living
in rural areas connected to sewers
2013: Percentage of people with access to improved sanitation 53.2% for urban; 16.7% for rural; total
33.8% (NDHS, 2013)
37
v. Percentage or people residing in urban areas with access to regular waste collection
2011: 70% (Census, 2011)
vi. Percentage of people residing in urban areas with access to clean domestic energy
2001: 0.4% solar energy source of energy used for cooking, lighting and heating
2011: 13.3% gas; 6.6% paraffin/ kerosene; 0.2% animal dung (main source of energy for cooking)
0.4% gas; 4.4% paraffin/ kerosene; 0.4% solar (main source of energy for lighting)
2.9% gas; 0.2% animal dung; 0.4% solar energy (main source of energy for heating)
vii. Percentage of people residing in urban areas with access to public transport
2013
51
: 40% of all trips are made by taxis; 4% make use of the municipal bus services; 26% use
private vehicles; 29% walk; and 1% use bicycles
viii. Level of effective decentralization for sustainable urban development measured by: (i)
Percentage of policies and legislation on urban issues in whose formulation local and regional
governments participated from 1996 to the present; (ii) percentage share of both income and
expenditure allocated to local and regional governments from the national budget; (iii)
percentage share of local authorities expenditure financed from local revenue
ix. Percentage of city, regional and national authorities that implemented urban policies supportive
of local economic development and creation of decent jobs and livelihoods
x. Percentage of city and regional authorities that have adopted or implemented urban safety and
security policies or strategies
xi. Percentage of city and regional authorities that have implemented plans and designs for
sustainable and resilient cities that are inclusive and respond to urban population growth
adequately
xii. Share of national gross domestic product (GDP) that is produced in urban areas
51
The Namibian business general; 2013-07-31, Windhoek seeking solution to traffic gridlock, Chamwe Kaira
38
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