Keetmanshoop Municipality Launches Survey to Improve Access to Basic Services NBC Online Sun, 04/06/2025 - 14:47

The demand of eggs has grown in the United States over the last number of years.

Assembly Bill 223 enhances tenant rights for habitable living conditions and remedies.

A new study has shown that a range of environmental factors, including lifestyle (smoking and physical activity), and living conditions, have a greater impact on health and premature death than our genes. ...

Witness testifies about children living in tents, raising concerns over their living conditions.

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Families relocated to Farm 508 behind Goreangab, known as Okapale, have threatened to return to Otjomuise if the City of Windhoek does not address unsafe and inhumane living conditions at the relocation site.  In a petition submitted to the City of Windhoek (CoW) Council, mayor, and chief executive officer, the Khomas Rate Payers and Residents Association stated that the city plans to move more households to the area on 31 July without proper services in place. The petition, signed by 387 affected households, warns that if their concerns are not addressed by 31 July, they will move back to Otjomuise, where they believe there are better living conditions.  “If we are not satisfied with what you are giving us on 31 July, we are going to relocate the people back to Otjomuise, where there are better open spaces. We will relocate the people any day from 1 September 2025,” the petition reads. The families are concerned about several issues, including the absence of police services, poor road access for emergency vehicles, lack of street lighting, and no access to shops. The area also lacks mobile phone reception. “There is a mobile police station, but no officers. It takes three days for the police to respond to complaints. We have already lost a life while waiting for the ambulance,” the petition states. The petition also questions why the city is expanding into new areas without addressing the needs of older informal settlements such as Havana, Okuryangava, and Ongulumbashe. The group suggests that Groot Aub should be separated from the City of Windhoek to allow it to operate independently. The relocation to Farm 508 followed heavy rains in January 2025, which displaced hundreds of residents from low-lying informal settlements, including parts of Otjomuise and 8ste Laan. Over 300 households have already been moved to the area. In April 2025, the CoW and its partners confirmed that some services had been rolled out at the site, such as prepaid water taps, Amalooloo dry toilets, a prefabricated clinic, and a newly established primary school. City officials also reported that roads had been marked, and some are under phased development, depending on available funds. However, residents argue that these measures are insufficient. The petition points out that only two water taps are operational, and most people still lack lighting, proper roads, or safe access to basic services. The petitioners also raise concerns about overcrowding, stating that “two people sit on 200 square metres,” which they believe is a repeat of past mistakes made in informal settlements. While the CoW had announced that over N$700 million in government funds would be used to formalise informal settlements, the petitioners argue that this financial support must be matched by meaningful action from the CoW. They have demanded written responses and commitments before the scheduled relocation on 31 July. If their concerns are not addressed, they say they will begin relocating themselves back to Otjomuise starting 1 September. Efforts to get a comment from the City of Windhoek were unsuccessful by the time of publication.

Council defines funding focus to enhance housing, accessibility, and community solutions through reports.

[New Era] Oshakati -- In Namibia, WhatsApp groups are created to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for funerals, while the cry of the living often goes unheard.

City Council schedules a housing developers forum with participation details pending.

Namibia – Self-Reported Living Conditions, by Occupation – 2024 When Namibians were asked to rate their personal living conditions on a scale ranging from “very poor” to “very good”, 34.6% described their situation as “good” or “very good”. However, when disaggregated by occupation, self-reported living conditions vary significantly. More than half of individuals in supervisory roles, as well as upper-level professionals such as doctors, accountants, and senior government officials, reported positive living conditions. In contrast, fewer than a quarter of manual labourers – including domestic helpers, cleaners, and general labourers – reported this. Broadly speaking, individuals in occupations involving manual or physical work are far less likely to report favourable living conditions compared to knowledge-based roles. Fewer than one-third of respondents working in artisanal trades, retail and informal trading, agriculture, fishing, or related manual sectors reported positive living conditions. Age and life stage may also influence perceived living standards within occupational groups. Respondents in youth-dominant occupations, such as students (or those who have never worked), are more likely to live with parents or in institutional housing (e.g. hostels), which could skew this interpretation. Clerical and secretarial roles – including receptionists, office administrators, and similar support functions, tend to fare above the national average in self-reported living conditions, while less than a third of homemakers report positive conditions. The post Namibia in Numbers appeared first on The Namibian.