The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development launched its strategic plan 2025/26 to 2029/30 in Windhoek today.
The plan will serve as its management and implementation tool towards its achievements for Vision 2030 and the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).
Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa said the plan will enable the government to effectively and systematically tackle developmental challenges.
The plan will also address issues related to sustainable human settlement development, effective governance, public service delivery, and regional and rural development.
In the next five years, the ministry will focus on several strategic objectives and programmes aimed at transforming the rural and urban development landscape in Namibia.
This, Sankwasa said, makes regional and local authorities the main partners in achieving these goals.
"First, we will strengthen regional local governance systems, starting with the recently conducted induction process for all newly elected councillors and management staff. Strengthening regional and local governance aims at enhancing institutional capacity, improving financial management and promoting accountability and transparent leadership at regional and local levels."
The ministry has a development budget of about N$13 million for housing construction across the country.
N$2.5 million will go towards land servicing, while about N$2.1 million is for basic sanitation in urban and rural areas.
Sankwasa has called on stakeholders to take ownership and ensure that resources are utilised wisely.
"Our sub-national government consists of 14 political administrative regions, 121 constituencies, 59 local authorities, 57 settlements and 53 recognised traditional authorities. Through these institutions, government services are brought closer to the people, so these institutions become the main players in the implementation of the plan, and at a developmental stage, these institutions must be involved when the plan is being formulated because then they will have an appreciation that, indeed, the plan is representative."
Sankwasa reminded political leaders to participate in the development of policies for political guidance.