Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Evelyn !Nawases-Tayele, has clarified that Kombat remains a settlement governed by the Otjozondjupa Regional Council and has not met the criteria required for it to be proclaimed as a town or village council.
She was responding to a parliamentary inquiry by Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) lawmaker Ottilie Haitota, who questioned why no local authority has been established in Kombat despite its growing economic activity and importance to the region. Haitota noted that the settlement continues to face inadequate service delivery and lacks proper regulation.
According to !Nawases-Tayele, the declaration of a town or village council depends on several factors, including the area’s ability to financially sustain a local authority once established. She emphasised that the process only begins when it is proven that the local economy can support such an administrative structure.
She further explained that Kombat’s limited space and surrounding commercial farms make expansion for residential development difficult. “The planned township is the only land available for settlement and consists of 284 plots — 22 owned by the government and 262 privately held,” she said. “Most of these privately owned properties are already developed and rented out. The Council does not collect municipal fees, and if any payments are being made, they likely relate to private leasing arrangements beyond the Council’s control.”
The Deputy Minister added that the Otjozondjupa Regional Council has managed Kombat since 2021, operating from a prefabricated office completed in July 2022. She noted that a Settlement Development Committee has been formed, holding quarterly meetings to deliberate on infrastructure and service delivery matters within the area.
