The Keetmanshoop Municipality on Tuesday kicked off with the construction of 30 houses under the Build Together project that is expected to cost the municipality N.dollars 2 million.

The N.dollars 2 million is funds the municipality received from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development for the 2023/2024 financial year.

Speaking during the ground breaking ceremony of the construction of the 30 houses, Keetmanshoop Mayor, McDonald Hanse said the houses being constructed for low-income earners are expected to be completed before the end of this year.

The mayor revealed that during the 2024/2025 financial, Council plans to construct 50 houses under the Build Together programme at a cost of N.dollars 2.5 million.

According to the mayor Keetmanshoop has a housing backlog of 4 000.

‘For this project we gave the tender to our local small contractors, just to empower them and ensure they also get something and not just have the big companies doing all the work. We just await the funds from the line ministry f
or this financial year, so that we start with construction of the 50 houses,’ he said.

About 10 constructors have been identified to build the 30 houses.

In an interview with Nampa one of the constructors, Michael Humphries of HMH Trading Enterprise said: ‘We are grateful that the municipality has trusted us with this project and we are able to show what we as small business can do for our community. With this project we are able to recruit our local people too, I have recruited six people.’

The houses are being constructed in the Tseiblaagte 7 residential area and all the erven are serviced with water and electricity. The houses will have two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a living room and will cost the resident N.dollars 80 000.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency