Municipality of Walvis Bay — local authority managing land development, infrastructure, housing, and public services in the coastal town, facing governance and housing provision challenges.
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August 2026
Windhoek Observer
Walvis Bay Municipalitycollaborated onN$132 million road rehabilitation project with Roads Authority and RFA
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“The initiative is a collaboration between the Roads Authority (RA), the Road Fund Administration (RFA), and the Walvis Bay Municipality, with Unik Construction appointed as the main contractor.”
Municipality of Walvis Bayis demanding that estate agents comply withoutdoor advertising regulations
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“The Municipality of Walvis Bay is demanding that estate agents comply with outdoor advertising regulations, a move agents say could increase their operating costs.”
Municipality of Walvis Bayconfirmedseveral major road maintenance and rehabilitation projects are in progress
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“The Municipality of Walvis Bay has confirmed that several major road maintenance and rehabilitation projects are currently in full swing across the town, signaling a push to upgrade the coastal town's transport infrastructure.”
Municipality of Walvis BayestablishedMemorandum of Understanding with Roads Authority and Road Fund Administration for roadwork in industrial precinct
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“In the industrial precinct, roadwork is also underway through the established Memorandum of Understanding between the Municipality of Walvis Bay, the Roads Authority, and the Road Fund Administration.”
Municipality of Walvis Bayissued a directive orderinginformal traders to vacate trading spots by yesterday
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“Informal traders operating in the Walvis Bay central business district (CBD) face imminent removal after the municipality issued a directive ordering them to vacate their trading spots by yesterday.”
Municipality of Walvis Bayordered informal traders in CBD to cease operations and vacate byWednesday
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“The Municipality of Walvis Bay has ordered all informal traders operating within the town's Central Business District to cease operations and vacate the area by Wednesday, warning that non-compliant traders will face a joint cleanup operation with law enforcement starting on Friday.”
Namibia's Honorary Consul in Nigeria, Justin Chuma Anosike, has denied allegations that he charged Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote US$1 million for arranging a meeting with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. The denial comes amid separate allegations that confidential Cabinet minutes and strategic documents were leaked to Anosike and passed to a Dangote Group executive, which NPC director-general Kaire Mbuende also rejects.
Namibia's Honorary Consul in Nigeria, Justin Chuma Anosike, has denied allegations that he charged Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote US$1 million for arranging a meeting with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. The denial comes amid separate allegations that confidential Cabinet minutes and strategic documents were leaked to Anosike and passed to a Dangote Group executive, which NPC director-general Kaire Mbuende also rejects.
Works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi officially handed over a N$132 million road rehabilitation project covering six deteriorating roads and roughly eight kilometres across Walvis Bay, a collaboration between the Roads Authority, Road Fund Administration, and Walvis Bay Municipality with Unik Construction as contractor. Nekundi emphasised the need for accountability, on-time delivery within budget, quality standards, and fair treatment of workers.
Swapo Party's Walvis Bay Rural district coordinator Patrick Barthomeus has denied allegations that the party is managing the municipal housing beneficiary list for the Farm 37 housing project from its district office, calling such claims "malicious lies and propaganda." He stated that Swapo Party district offices are not government institutions and lack the mandate or authority to carry out government functions like housing allocation.
The Municipality of Walvis Bay is requiring estate agents to obtain an annual outdoor advertising permit costing N$1,602.42 for property advertising boards. Estate agents warn the enforcement could increase operating costs and say they were not consulted beforehand.
The Municipality of Walvis Bay is conducting multiple road maintenance and rehabilitation projects across the town in phases, with contractor DJJ Investment CC addressing potholes and routine maintenance on streets including Namib Street, 6th Road, Nangolo Mbumba Drive, and Sam Nujoma Avenue, while Westwing JV Area 7 Engineering undertakes more extensive rehabilitation work on Kabeljou Street including pothole patching, slurry sealing, and crack sealing.
The Municipality of Walvis Bay has warned residents against carrying out pothole repairs on public roads without approval, following reports that an unemployed couple had begun repairing potholes in the coastal town. The municipality says it has appointed a contractor to carry out pothole repairs as part of its official road maintenance programme.
The Municipality of Walvis Bay has issued a directive ordering informal traders to vacate their trading spots in the central business district by yesterday. Traders say they paid municipal fees last year to operate from their current locations and claim the municipality has not told them where they should relocate.
The Municipality of Walvis Bay has ordered informal traders operating in the town's Central Business District to cease operations and vacate by 17 June 2026, with law enforcement and cleanup operations to begin Friday for non-compliant traders. The order is part of a regulatory framework introduced in March that requires informal traders to obtain permits and relocate to designated trading zones.
Walvis Bay Municipality has cancelled the sale of 67 erven, of which 66 were single residential plots for first-time buyers, following a ministerial directive. Non-residential plots will proceed with sale as planned.
The Namibia Water Corporation has announced planned power outages on 21 May 2026 (08:30–17:30) and 1 June 2026 (08:00–17:00) due to NamPower maintenance work on the Ruby 11kV network and Sekelduin 2 line, which will suspend water supply operations at the Ruby Intake Station for approximately eight hours each day. NamWater and Walvis Bay Municipality are working to keep reservoirs at full supply to mitigate the impact, and residents are urged to use water sparingly.
The Walvis Bay municipality tabled a N$1.6 billion budget for 2026/2027, comprising N$883 million in capital spending and N$690 million in operating costs. Land development projects receive the largest allocation at N$299 million (34% of capital), followed by infrastructure repair and replacement at N$249 million (28%).
Rapid population growth and proliferation of informal backyard housing in Walvis Bay have driven electricity consumption to record levels, with the suburb of Kuisebmond alone consuming 54% of Swakopmund's total power use. The municipality faces increasing pressure to provide affordable housing and land, with approximately 23 000 backyard shacks housing 42 000 people and thousands more on waiting lists.
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism will remove part of the Walvis Bay landfill from Dorob National Park to allow the municipality full management authority and ability to enforce bylaws. The ministry has issued a compliance order against illegal tyre burning at the site, which residents report creates toxic smoke affecting the town, and has flagged health risks from living near the landfill.
The Municipality of Walvis Bay has been declared an Authorised Planning Authority, enabling it to oversee land use approvals and development applications such as rezoning and township establishment previously handled at national level. The municipality expects the status to reduce processing delays and improve service delivery through local decision-making.
Walvis Bay Municipality has been without an internal audit, performance management system, or general manager for 17 years, with further gaps including poorly designed job descriptions, a recently established procurement unit, and reports of staff conducting business with the municipality. Mayor Johannes Shimbilinga revealed these systemic governance failures to residents and called for reforms to address deep-rooted institutional problems affecting service delivery.
The Walvis Bay municipality announced that Langstrand and Kuisebmond will experience a temporary water interruption from 17 to 19 March due to a supply disruption from the Swakopmund supply line. Residents are urged to use water sparingly and make preparations.
Lifeguards in Walvis Bay are warning of increased drowning risk as coastal heatwaves with temperatures between 35–36°C drive large crowds to beaches and swimming areas without adequate safety precautions. Monarch Lifeguard Services founder Marthin Muyenga urges close supervision of children, warns against improvised flotation devices, and advises against swimming under the influence of alcohol, while the Municipality of Walvis Bay has deployed certified lifeguards at Independence Beach and temporarily opened Dolphin Park swimming pool during weekdays.
A parliamentary standing committee is holding consultative meetings in Rundu this week with five major local authorities to assess land delivery and housing provision. The consultations aim to give Parliament an evidence-based understanding of how housing is planned and delivered at local level, identify constraints, and propose solutions to Namibia's estimated 300,000 to 700,000-unit housing backlog.
A parliamentary standing committee on urban and rural development is holding consultative meetings at Rundu with five major local authorities to assess land delivery and housing provision. The consultations aim to gather evidence on how housing is planned and delivered, identify constraints, and propose practical measures to address Namibia's estimated housing backlog of 300,000 to 700,000 units.
The Minister of Urban and Rural Development has warned ministries and councillors to settle outstanding municipal debts or face disconnections and sanctions. As of March 2025, local authorities and councils owed the Namibia Water Corporation N$2.4 billion, with the City of Windhoek reporting residents, businesses, and government combined owe the municipality N$1.2 billion.