DRC layout plan nixed

THE Townships Board has now twice rejected plans for the layout of Swakopmund’s informal settlement area, the DRC.

In a letter to Council, Erastus Negonga, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing wrote that the Minister was unhappy with the layout and recommended that a completely new design be drawn up. The Swakopmund Municipality decided in April last year to proclaim the DRC as an informal settlement and had to submit layout plans to the Namibian Planning Advisory Board (Nampab) and the Townships Board for approval.The Minister’s concerns centre on the geometric design that allows for four rows of erven between two streets with limited, unusable access to the middle two rows of erven.”Such a design may lead in a very short period of time to urban decay and slum conditions and inherently contain components that will lead to social evils not desirable in a neighbourhood, mainly because of the concentration of thousands of people in a very small area,” the PS wrote.He further stated: “The unimaginative design indicates that cost factors were of major importance and social needs and acceptability were low ranking issues.There is also no indication that natural climatic (wind, temperature, fog) and geographical issues were taken into account.”The PS said it was not desirable to promote the area as final for permanent residence, and suggests people should be persuaded that it is a temporary solution until a more suitable area is planned and developed.Council resolved to limit the formalisation of the DRC to the concept of five block erven that was approved by Nampab.It also resolved that the Town Engineer’s Department should proceed with the installation of water-free toilets to address sanitation problems.The Swakopmund Municipality decided in April last year to proclaim the DRC as an informal settlement and had to submit layout plans to the Namibian Planning Advisory Board (Nampab) and the Townships Board for approval.The Minister’s concerns centre on the geometric design that allows for four rows of erven between two streets with limited, unusable access to the middle two rows of erven.”Such a design may lead in a very short period of time to urban decay and slum conditions and inherently contain components that will lead to social evils not desirable in a neighbourhood, mainly because of the concentration of thousands of people in a very small area,” the PS wrote.He further stated: “The unimaginative design indicates that cost factors were of major importance and social needs and acceptability were low ranking issues.There is also no indication that natural climatic (wind, temperature, fog) and geographical issues were taken into account.”The PS said it was not desirable to promote the area as final for permanent residence, and suggests people should be persuaded that it is a temporary solution until a more suitable area is planned and developed.Council resolved to limit the formalisation of the DRC to the concept of five block erven that was approved by Nampab.It also resolved that the Town Engineer’s Department should proceed with the installation of water-free toilets to address sanitation problems.