Staff Reporter
CHAIRPERSON of the Khomas Regional Council, Stefanus Ndengu, said that the Council has launched and rolled out its Strategic Plan for the period 2025/2026 to 2029/2030, which prioritises water provision, sanitation, education support, health infrastructure, safety and security, youth empowerment, sports development, and social welfare initiatives, among others.
Ndengu made these remarks at the opening of the Khomas Regional Council, where he stated that water provision is one of the Council’s most integral priorities, particularly in the Windhoek Rural Constituency, where communities continue to face challenges relating to the availability, accessibility, and reliability of water sources.
“During the 2025/2026 Financial Year, the Council allocated over N$2.5 million, while the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform allocated N$1.2 million towards water intervention projects. As part of these efforts, the rehabilitation of 11 boreholes at localities, namely Arovlei, Stinkwater, !Kharoxas, Nauaspoort and Khanubeb, is under implementation. In addition, the drilling of five boreholes at Stansclots is currently under way, at a total cost of over N$2.2 million,” Ndengu said.
He further stated that sanitation also remains a critical pillar of community health, dignity, and overall wellbeing.
In this regard, he said that the Council allocated over N$1 million towards sanitation interventions, while the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform contributed over N$1.4 million, and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development availed N$800,000.
“As a result, over N$2.6 million has been earmarked for the construction of 175 dry toilets in rural areas. To date, 60 toilets have been completed, and construction of the remaining 115 is ongoing, with completion anticipated before the end of the 2025/2026 financial year,” Ndengu said.
He added that addressing unemployment and poverty, economic empowerment stands as one of the Council’s most strategic tools.
“In this regard, through the Council’s SME support programme, known as Income Generating Activities, N$2.5 million was spent to support 192 small-scale businesses with equipment and materials. This initiative directly supports our Strategic Plan focus of stimulating economic activity through support to micro, small, and medium enterprises, with the goal of strengthening livelihoods and encouraging local economic growth,” the chairperson said.
Despite the achievements recorded, Ndengu stated that the Council is equally aware of the challenges that continue to affect the Khomas Region.
“Unemployment, especially among youth, remains a serious concern and continues to impact household stability and social wellbeing. As a matter of fact, the broad unemployment rate in the Khomas Region stands at 44.4%, according to the 2023 Population and Housing Census Labour Force Report. Rapid urbanisation also continues to increase pressure on service delivery, particularly in informal settlements. These challenges are among the key issues that our Strategic Plan seeks to address, and they require collective solutions and stronger partnerships with the Office of the Regional Governor, central Government, local government, the private sector, civil society organisations, community leadership structures, and all stakeholders,” Ndengu concluded.
