Namibia’s capital city municipal authority, the City of Windhoek, has set a target to provide electricity access to 4,000 informal households by 2028, an official said Friday.
According to the City of Windhoek’s Deputy Mayor, Magdalena Lombardt, this effort follows the approval of a revised 5-Year Electrification Plan. “This plan, developed in close collaboration with the Department of Housing, Property Management and Human Settlement, reflects a determined effort to upgrade and formalize informal settlements,” she said.
Lombardt made this announcement during a gathering of key stakeholders and residents, marking the official inauguration of Phase II of the Informal Areas Electrification Project for Otjomuise Extension 6 and 7.
In her keynote address, Lombardt said that these projects, funded by Namibia’s Ministry of Urban and Rural Development and NamPower, the national electric power utility company, represent a combined capital investment of around 45 million Namibia dollars (about 3 million U.S. dollars).
She noted that the electrification works for Otjomuise Extension have reached a significant milestone, with 20 households now benefiting from electricity. The remaining houses are scheduled for completion by the end of October.
The City of Windhoek began the electrification of informal settlements around Windhoek during the 2017/2018 Financial Year. To date, about 3,515 service connections have been completed over the last five years of the previous 5-Year Electrification Plan, which expired during the last Financial Year 2022/2023.
