Administrative bungling holds up housing at Karasburg

THE Town Council of Karasburg has suspended its low-cost housing programme because it started off on the wrong foot, Town Clerk Franciskus Witbooi has told The Namibian.

Residents of the town have long complained about the lack of housing. Some say they have searched for accommodation for up to 12 years.Last year, the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing forwarded N$839 000 to the Town Council.The money was expected to benefit around 60 households.Witbooi told The Namibian that the council had decided to “sit on the money” because of certain administrative mistakes made three years ago.He said Karasburg had made a mistake by first processing application forms before the erven were transferred from the Town Council to the Build Together Programme.”We need to go through the registration of bonds and the servicing of land before calling for applications and then collecting money from the applicants.We have now been waiting for a year to get approval from the Ministry for the transfer of bonds,” Witbooi said.He said the Ministry had told him 10 days ago to transfer the bonds and had said that the programme would start soon.”The reason I have not transferred the money to various recipients was because it would have been illegal.I would have ended up in jail.I feel for those who had to wait for such a long time,” Witbooi said.He said that the construction of the 60 low cost houses under the Build Together Scheme was scheduled to start later in the year.At a recent public meeting, the person in charge of the Build Together Programme in the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing, Lucia Kamboua, told Karasburg residents that they had decentralised the programme.”Our role is to provide the funding and to monitor the activities at regional and local level,” she said.She said every Namibian over the age of 21 and earning less than N$3 000 qualified to benefit from the Build Together Programme.Some say they have searched for accommodation for up to 12 years.Last year, the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing forwarded N$839 000 to the Town Council.The money was expected to benefit around 60 households.Witbooi told The Namibian that the council had decided to “sit on the money” because of certain administrative mistakes made three years ago.He said Karasburg had made a mistake by first processing application forms before the erven were transferred from the Town Council to the Build Together Programme.”We need to go through the registration of bonds and the servicing of land before calling for applications and then collecting money from the applicants.We have now been waiting for a year to get approval from the Ministry for the transfer of bonds,” Witbooi said.He said the Ministry had told him 10 days ago to transfer the bonds and had said that the programme would start soon.”The reason I have not transferred the money to various recipients was because it would have been illegal.I would have ended up in jail.I feel for those who had to wait for such a long time,” Witbooi said.He said that the construction of the 60 low cost houses under the Build Together Scheme was scheduled to start later in the year.At a recent public meeting, the person in charge of the Build Together Programme in the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing, Lucia Kamboua, told Karasburg residents that they had decentralised the programme.”Our role is to provide the funding and to monitor the activities at regional and local level,” she said.She said every Namibian over the age of 21 and earning less than N$3 000 qualified to benefit from the Build Together Programme.