Walvis Bay — The Walvis Bay Municipality has cancelled the sale of 67 erven, of which 66 were for residential purposes.
The plots were offered through a public bidding process held on 24 April.
However, the municipality yesterday announced that the sale has been cancelled with immediate effect.
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"The alienation process relating to single residential erven offered during the public bidding process has been cancelled with immediate effect. This decision follows a ministerial directive contained in circular 1/2026, dated 21 May," the notice reads.
According to the original bidding notice, the municipality had offered a total of 71 erven through public bidding to the highest bidders.
Of these, 67 were single residential erven earmarked for first-time buyers. The residential erfs included one single residential erf in Kuisebmond, three single residential erfs in Narraville, eight single residential erfs in Walvis Bay, and 55 single residential erfs in Meersig.
"The sale and alienation of all other erven zoned for non-single residential purposes will proceed as planned and in accordance with the approved process," the municipality said.
The Council added that it will, in due course, communicate the way forward, including the method and conditions for the alienation of the affected single residential erf.
Walvis Bay Municipality spokesperson Anita Kaihiva in April told New Era that the town is facing increasing pressure to provide affordable housing and land to its growing population.
According to a 2023 socio-economic survey conducted by the municipality, which is currently being updated, there are approximately 23 000 backyard shacks housing about 42 000 people.
The municipality's waiting list for housing and erven includes 1 600 applicants under the Build Together Housing programme, 22 165 for the National Housing Enterprise, and 2 240 pre-approved clients. "So far, only four community groups have been allocated land at Farm 37. Backyard informal structures put extra pressure on municipal infrastructure, including water, sewer, and electricity," Kaihiva said.
Income
Meanwhile, local authorities have been told to rethink how they generate revenue instead of instead of just relying on rates and taxes as well as land sales, outgoing Association of Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN) president Samuel !Oë-Amseb said.
He was speaking during ALAN's ongoing meeting in Walvis Bay yesterday, saying municipalities need to operate differently if they want to secure sustainable income streams and strengthen their financial positions.
He said local authorities often sell land to investors and use the proceeds to settle immediate obligations, only to find themselves in financial difficulties again a few months later.
"We were exploring whether there are additional revenue streams we can bring in," he said.
Providing an exhibit, !Oë-Amseb said if a potential investor approaches a local authority seeking five hectares of land to establish a school or hotel valued at N$15 million, municipalities should consider alternatives to outright land sales.
"What is best for developers and councillors? Is it to take the N$15 million and pay NamWater and that money is finished in three months? Or is it best to say the N$15 million is the value of the land. Just give us N$10 million and for the other N$5 million, we want to be a shareholder in this development so that we generate money every year and every month," he said.
He said having an ownership stake in infrastructure developments would enable local authorities to create sustainable revenue streams that could continue generating income for years.
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"Municipalities should not focus only on once-off income from selling land, which can be spent within months. Instead, they should consider taking a stake in the infrastructure developed on that land, as it can generate income for as long as it exists," he said.
The proposal forms part of discussions aimed at finding innovative ways to strengthen local government finances amid increasing service delivery demands and financial constraints faced by many municipalities across the country.
Agreeing with him was Walvis Bay Municipality CEO Victoria Kapenda, who said :"If we can improve our revenue base, if we can attract investors that make a difference, if we can improve the number of unemployed people in our localities where people are able to earn and pay for services, it would mean a lot to us as local authorities."
