DRC residents will soon have water and electricity

The story of sharing four taps and walking long distances to fetch water will soon be a story of the past for the legal plot owners of DRC informal settlement in Swakopmund after the council have decided to bring services closer to the people of DRC who are legal plot owners.

According to the Marketing and Communications Officer of the Swakopmund Municipality, Mrs. Ailie Gebhardt, it is Council’s priority to formalise the DRC and bring services to the community and the main aim of the project is to bring water to the homes of the residents of DRC. When asked why the council is only bringing water to the residents of DRC now, Gebhardt said there were no funds for the project back then and now funds are available for this new development and “ it is Council’s intention to provide each and every house-hold with full municipal services, but this will happen in time and as soon as more funds become available”.
According to Gebhardt, the taps that are currently in place at DRC will be recovered for alternative use if still functional. She said the illegal plot owners will have access to the taps that are currently in place, but the taps are normally recovered for alternative use if still functional. Gebhardt says the good news is that this new development include the supply of electricity and other municipal services such as sewerage, refuse removal, etc.
Of all the residents in and around the DRC, those considered as “legal plot owners” are 1227 at present, however Council’s intention is to come up with a housing solution which includes all residents in and around the DRC.Gebhardt further said that the development process will be completed in time, “it all depends on the availability of the funds and the project is expected to be completed during this year (2017), if construction is not interrupted” she adds.
Messrs Strydo Construction cc was awarded the tender under Contract T40/2013 : Provision of Services to Blocks 1-3 & 8-11 DRC for the Mass Housing Initiative project and a total of N$ 2 663 335.56 was availed by the Government as part of Mass Housing Development Initiative. “We are advising the community to kindly co-operate with the requests to move their shacks or else the project will be delayed. If they do not move, it will make the provision of services more complex” Gebhardt concluded.
The DRC residents said they are very happy that the council is finally bringing water to their homes, but said they were not sure about the electricity at this point in time because they have not heard any talks about electricity, but they will be more excited if they also receive electricity.
Photos Caption. The earthworks in DRC have started.