President Nangolo Mbumba has called on the acceleration of the process for the Flexible Land Tenure System (FLTS) by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, which provides permanent land ownership titles for settlements.
Mbumba made these remarks in a speech delivered on his behalf on Friday at the handover of land ownership certificates to 1 996 beneficiaries from the Usab informal settlement in Karibib.
He noted that the process of the allocation of provisional ownership certificates at Karibib will afford the beneficiaries a sense of ownership and guarantee that they will not be evicted from the land they are occupying legally.
‘This process also commends our commitment to address the issue of decongestion of informal settlements to provide housing to our citizens and to improve their livelihoods,’ he expressed.
Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele highlighted that recognising the importance of land tenure security, the issuance of provisional ownership cer
tificates marks a significant milestone.
‘These certificates serve as a guarantee against eviction, offering residents assurance and stability while awaiting the implementation of the FLTS.’
The servicing of the 1 996 plots is highly subsidised by Government for over N.dollars 45 000 each, while beneficiaries are only expected to pay N.dollars 1 900.
The town’s rural electrification project, supported by Navachab Gold Mine and the Karibib Town Council at a combined value of N.dollars 4.5 million, also promises to bring light to 138 households at the settlement.
Karibib Mayor Davey van Wyk emphasised that although it is the duty of the local government to provide services to the community, it should be their utmost responsibility to ensure that they commit to paying their rates and taxes.
Hanzina Troy Christiaan is one of the beneficiaries of the land who expressed relief now that she has her own land.
‘I had to move here for work a couple of years ago and since then accommodation had been a struggle bec
ause I have had to rent here and there and it was expensive. So I can now built a home for my children and I,’ she told Nampa.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency