No informal settlements in Tsandi

By Lydia Pitiri

The Tsandi Village Council has formalised the informal settlement in the town after it allocated 300 to 500 square metres of land to each resident living in the area. About 140 people live in the informal settlement.

The Land Management Officer of the Tsandi Village Council, Rebbeka Nuule said they are formalising informal settlements to ensure residents live in formal structures instead of shacks.

“We believe people will not stay poor forever because of the circumstances they live in. We made provision for ample land in the hope that their circumstances will change in the near future and they will have enough land to further develop their plots,” Nuule said, adding that the village council is working hard to avoid informal structures in the vicinity.

During an interview with this agency on the sidelines of the Tsandi Annual Trade Fair and Expo on Monday, Nuule mentioned that Extension 12 is a designated area that has been set aside for low-income earners who used to reside in an informal settlement that has since been formalised.

“These people will soon obtain their title deeds for their land,” Nuule said.
Nuule noted that the individual plots have been fenced off, clearly demarcated and with a road network.
She mentioned that the council has conducted planning and surveys for the area. They are now waiting for adequate funding to provide services such as electricity, sewer and water reticulation.

The land management officer said currently the council is providing communal taps and toilets in the area.
Nuule explained that they have already approached NamWater to avail funds so that the council is able to provide water to individual houses.

“Each person present here has his or her own plot of land and has received approval to construct building structures on them, but no backyard shacks area allowed,” she stated.
Nuule said the council has devised a plan to use funds from the Build Together initiative to acquire building materials for the community to construct their houses.

These members will repay the assistance in the form of a loan, she stressed.
“We are discouraging people from living in shacks and encouraging them to live in decent houses,” Nuule said.

(NAMPA)
LP/PS/AS
(NAMPA)