Select Page

Construction of 45 ‘Build Together houses’ in Omaheke region commences

Construction of 45 ‘Build Together houses’ in Omaheke region commences

The Omaheke Regional Council revived the dormant ‘Build Together Programme’ in three of its settlements, namely Aminuis, Epukiro and Tallismanus, when it appointed a contrator to construct 45 new houses in the settlements.

The contractor, MRBM Namibia was officially handed over the project on 24 August. The construction of these houses is expected to be completed by March 2019 at a total cost of N$3 690 000.

In addition to the new houses, plans are underway to repair 111 defective houses which were constructed about 10 years ago in Epukiro, Tallismanus, Corridor 13 and Otjinene and to complete 24 houses in Epukiro and Corridor 13 settlements. These repairs and completions will cost the Regional Council approximately N$1,518,879.80.

A further 25 new houses which were planned to be constructed 10 years ago will be constructed in Aminuis during the current financial year as well at a cost of N$2 million.

“The Regional Build Together Programme was dormant for about seven years due to a number of challenges. These challenges include price escalation of building materials and transport, a limited number of serviced plots, a lack of technical capacity by some appointed local contractors, limited starting capital, abandonment of sites by some local contractors and some beneficiaries not playing their expected roles of supplying sand and calcrete on time,” Tauno Iileka, Senior Public Relations Officer at the Council said.

Iileka added that a moratorium declared by the then Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development on the utilisation of the Build Together Programme funds by the Regional and Local authorities in November 2014 further delayed the implementation of this programme.

Caption: Regional Councilor for Aminuis Constituency, Honourable Peter Kazongominja (right) and MRBM Namibia Technical Director, Mokomele Thataone (left) during the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of houses to be built under the Build Together Programme in Omaheke region. In the background is the Director of Planning and Development Services for Omaheke Regional Council.


About The Author

Donald Matthys

Donald Matthys has been part of the media fraternity since 2015. He has been working at the Namibia Economist for the past three years mainly covering business, tourism and agriculture. Donald occasionally refers to himself as a theatre maker and has staged two theatre plays so far. Follow him on twitter at @zuleitmatthys