Staff Reporter
THE City of Windhoek has announced that the council has submitted the first five Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) applications to the Office of the Environmental Commissioner to formalise informal settlements.
“The submission of these Environmental Clearance Certificate applications demonstrates the City’s unwavering commitment to accelerating the formalisation of informal settlements and addressing the growing demand for serviced urban land,” the council said.
The council said the milestone paves the way for the formal planning and development of approximately 3,587 residential erven across the first five Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) groupings.
“This development follows the public participation process announced by the City on 13 March 2026, during which residents and Interested and Affected Parties were invited to provide input on the proposed township establishments as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. The submissions represent the successful completion of the required environmental assessments and public consultation for the first phase of the programme,” the City of Windhoek explained.
The council said the applications cover five EIA groupings: Group 1, Group 2, Group 4, Group 10 and Group 18. Group 1 comprises the townships on Farms 1026, 1027, 1028 and 1029; Group 2 includes the townships on Farms 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009, RE/1016, 1017, 1019 and 1035; Group 4 covers the townships on Farm 1033 and a portion of the remainder of Penn 999; Group 10 consists of the Okatunda and Okandundu townships; while Group 18 includes Erf 550 and Farms 1035, 1036 and 1037 in Havana.
“The applications were officially lodged with the Environmental Clearance Certificate System on 29 May 2026 and are currently undergoing the Environmental Commissioner’s screening process,” the council added.
Once the Environmental Clearance Certificates have been issued, the City will proceed with the remaining statutory processes, including applications to the Urban and Regional Planning Board, land surveying by the Surveyor-General, and registration by the Deeds Office before municipal servicing can begin.
“While this marks a major achievement, it is only one of several statutory milestones required before new residential erven can be made available. We remain committed to working closely with all regulatory authorities to expedite these processes and deliver sustainable, serviced neighbourhoods for our residents,” the City of Windhoek explained.
The council added that its broader large-scale planning initiative aims to formalise informal settlements through coordinated town planning, environmental management, land surveying and land registration processes.
According to the council, the programme is expected to create approximately 11,226 erven across 21 planning groups, making a significant contribution towards reducing Windhoek’s housing backlog and improving access to essential municipal services.
“The City of Windhoek appreciates the constructive participation of residents, community leaders and all Interested and Affected Parties who contributed during the public consultation process. Their participation has been instrumental in advancing this important initiative. The City will continue to provide regular updates as the applications progress through the statutory approval process,” the City of Windhoek added.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: CoW
