Concerns over stalled housing occupation in Okongo have reached a critical point, with Urban and Rural Development Minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa directing the Village Council to expedite the installation of basic services for newly built homes left unoccupied since 2022.
Speaking during a high-level meeting with regional and local authorities, Minister Sankwasa expressed disappointment that residents have been forced to pay mortgages for nearly two years while unable to move into their houses due to the lack of water, electricity, and sewerage infrastructure.
“This is more than poor planning it’s negligence that places unnecessary financial and emotional pressure on our citizens,” the Minister stated, calling the situation “deeply troubling and unacceptable.”
The Acting CEO of the Okongo Village Council told the Minister that the tender process to construct the necessary services is nearing completion. However, this information came as a surprise to several councillors, who claimed they had not been consulted or informed a revelation that further alarmed the Minister.
“How can a tender process be handled without involving the councillors elected to serve the community? This lack of internal communication only undermines trust and delays progress,” he remarked.
In a decisive move, Minister Sankwasa directed that the tender process be concluded by 01 July 2025, with service construction to commence by 15 July 2025 at the latest.
Also in attendance were Ohangwena Governor Rtd General Sebastian Ndeitunga and Regional Council Chairperson Erickson Ndawanifa, who both supported the Minister’s call for greater transparency and urgency in addressing service delivery failures.
With mounting frustration and a looming deadline, Okongo residents are holding onto hope but not without growing impatience.
“We are not asking for luxuries,” one homeowner said. “We simply want what was promised to us a home we can finally live in.”
