Namibia Minute.
Friday, 24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
Windhoek—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Organization

National Housing Enterprise

Also known as: NHE · National Housing Enterprises

State-owned housing developer delivering low-cost homes to low-income Namibians; 2024/25 reported N$23m profit but delivered only 191 houses against national backlog of 300,000.

Agriculture & Land

Walvis Bay council approves temporary relocation of illegal land occupants

The News

The Walvis Bay municipal council has approved a plan to relocate residents illegally occupying land at Kuisebmond and other areas to a temporary site at farm 37, as part of measures to address illegal land occupation and enforce land management. The relocation will include selected backyard dwellers and 50 households from Narraville, with residents required to sign permission to occupy certificates that will regulate their temporary stay.

21 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 21 April

  1. Walvis Bay council approves temporary relocation of illegal land occupants

    The Walvis Bay municipal council has approved a plan to relocate residents illegally occupying land at Kuisebmond and other areas to a temporary site at farm 37, as part of measures to address illegal land occupation and enforce land management. The relocation will include selected backyard dwellers and 50 households from Narraville, with residents required to sign permission to occupy certificates that will regulate their temporary stay.

    21 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 13 April

  1. Walvis Bay housing shortage drives soaring electricity consumption

    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.

    13 April 2026 · New Era →

Friday 10 April

  1. LPM boycotts presidential address, citing recycled promises

    The Landless People's Movement boycotted President Nandi-Ndaitwah's State of the Nation Address, calling it political theatre that masks poor governance; the presidency responded that dialogue is essential in a democracy and that such absences represent a missed opportunity to raise concerns.

    10 April 2026 · New Era →

Wednesday 8 April

  1. Ministry receives N$2b budget; housing backlog priority

    The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has been allocated N$2 billion for 2026/2027, with an additional N$1.5 billion from the National Housing Enterprise to accelerate housing construction and address Namibia's housing backlog. The ministry has prioritised informal settlement formalisation and rural development, though infrastructure constraints—particularly ageing sewer systems requiring an estimated N$2.5 billion in upgrades—threaten to slow progress.

    8 April 2026 · New Era →

Thursday 26 March

  1. Finance Minister defends 2026/27 budget against parliamentary concerns

    Finance Minister Ericah Shafudah defended the N$104 billion 2026/27 budget, stating it balances fiscal consolidation with economic support without introducing broad-based tax increases. She addressed parliamentary concerns about taxation, public debt levels, and sectoral allocations, emphasizing that development spending extends beyond the official figures and that agricultural financing should be viewed holistically including through Agribank.

    26 March 2026 · New Era →

Monday 23 March

  1. Bukalo village marks independence amid rural development gains

    As Namibia marked 36 years of independence, Bukalo Village Council reported progress in housing, water supply, road infrastructure, and local economic growth, with the village's population growing from 800 in 2011 to nearly 2,000 in 2023. Village Council CEO Anna Sazita attributed the developments to partnerships with the National Housing Enterprise and support from the Road Fund Administration, noting improvements in sewer systems and water pressure alongside new projects including a sports stadium and open market.

    23 March 2026 · New Era →

Sunday 22 March

  1. New housing task force must learn from failed mass programme

    A land and spatial sciences professional warns that Namibia's new presidential task force on land and housing risks repeating the mistakes of the failed Mass Housing Development Programme unless it addresses past failures—including poor accountability, weak project management, cost overruns, unaffordable units, inadequate local authority support, and lack of transparency.

    22 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 20 March

  1. PM calls for protection against home repossession after years of payments

    Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has urged financial institutions to protect homeowners from repossession even after decades of payments, calling for a national dialogue to find fair solutions that prioritise "humanity over profit". He also questioned why housing loans span decades compared to vehicle loans and highlighted Namibia's severe housing crisis, with a backlog of over 300,000 houses.

    20 March 2026 · New Era →

Friday 13 March

  1. Urban ministry's budget cut will worsen housing backlog, IPC warns

    An IPC parliamentarian criticized the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development's reduced N$1.9-billion budget, arguing it will fail to address Namibia's housing shortage. He noted the ministry received N$2.7 billion the previous year but built only 194 housing units in Windhoek and Opuwo combined, while an estimated 12,000 shacks are erected annually.

    13 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 4 March

  1. Minister bans private developers from government-serviced land

    Minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa has directed local authorities to stop allocating government-serviced land to private developers, arguing that public land should support affordable housing for low-income citizens rather than commercial developments targeting those who can afford houses of N$1.5–2 million. The minister said private developers should service their own land and charge market rates, while formalising informal settlements through certificates of ownership would enable residents to access bank loans.

    4 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Namibia Minute