Namport Chief Executive, Andrew Kanime said plans to construct the Walvis Bay Waterfront and Marina have been put on hold because of the ongoing development of the new oil and gas industry.

Approximately seven hectares of prime land have been allocated for the waterfront development, along with a sizable adjacent calm water area between the Walvis Bay lagoon and the Port of Walvis Bay South Port.

Kanime said Namport does not have enough land to proceed with the development.

"We have had to put the waterfront development on hold. We had to put the particular project on hold for now."

"The land that we set aside and zoned for the waterfront, is the same land that we are now using to service and support the oil and gas industries. And therefore, for now, the waterfront development is put on hold because we simply don't have space to carry out that development," he said.

Kanime also said that the waterfront development programme could be reactivated once the port infrastructure has been expanded.

"Once we have actually expanded the port infrastructure and established the logistics base for the oil and gas, they (the oil and gas industry facilities) would then be relocated out of there and at that stage we would then reactivate the waterfront development project," said Kanime.

Hotels, offices, apartments, retail shops, restaurants, health centres, and other recreational, leisure, tourism, and hospitality establishments were planned to be part of the Walvis Bay Waterfront.

The total project cost was estimated to be between N$300 million and N$1 billion, when it was launched in 2019.

The development of a Waterfront and Marina was identified by Namport to combine sea port activities with recreational and tourism activities, and was initially expected to be completed in 2020. As the landowner, Namport facilitates the development of a waterfront which could become one of the main tourist attractions in Walvis Bay.