WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has resumed the construction of houses under the mass housing project at Otjomuise Extension 10 in Windhoek . Speaking during a familiarisation visit to the site on Monday , line minister Erastus Uutoni said the project was halted due to a legal dispute with the contractor in 2017 and is part of the 21 sites identified under the mass housing development blueprint of the 2013 programme . ‘ The project was entangled in a legal dispute which resulted in a stoppage and consequent delays in its completion ,’ he said . He said the legal dispute , which included the lack of basic service provisions such as water and electricity , amongst others , was settled in November 2023 and allowed for the continuation of work on 360 incomplete houses . These houses include 11 blocks with 264 units and 96 free – standing dual houses to the tune of approximately N . dollars 90 million . ‘ We are happy that we are continuing with the programme . The outcome now is that we are
busy delivering what we wanted to achieve , and I am urging the contractors that by December , let some people celebrate ,’ he said . Uutoni indicated that government has recognised that houses that were constructed under the first phase of the mass housing programme were not affordable to all the needy , especially low and ultra – low income earners , therefore Cabinet decided that categories earmarked for these groups must be sold at prices that are lower than the actual cost of construction . At the same event , Taleni Kapadhi from Jordaan Oosthuysen Nangolo Quantity Surveyors explained that currently the houses are not connected to water , electricity and sewage , noting that the land was serviced for normal free – standing houses but blocks of 264 units were built . ‘ When you build blocks of flats on such land you need to change the pipes because you now have more people on a certain portion of pipes . The water and electricity that you need is now way more , and that is what we are reconstructing ,’ he
said .

Source: The Namibia Press Agency