Erongo Governor Natalia |Goagoses says every Namibian deserves to live in a decent shelter and access basic services.

Her remarks follow after a fire that swept through Extension 14 in Mondesa, Swakopmund, destroying 13 shacks.

The weekend blaze left more than 30 people homeless.

|Goagoses says access to housing, water, sanitation and electricity is not a privilege but a basic human right that must be expanded to all citizens.

More than half of Swakopmund's growing population continues to live in shacks in the DRC and surrounding informal areas.

The areas are overcrowded, and poor infrastructure makes communities highly vulnerable to fire and other disasters.

"That is unacceptable. It is indecent that it is not right for Namibians to clean; they have got a decent life. This shall be a profiling done on these people," she said.

Swakopmund Mayor Suamma Kautondokwa says the municipality is doing everything possible to expand service delivery, but rapid urban migration places enormous pressure on housing and infrastructure.

"Especially on housing, most of the inhabitants of Swakopmund live in the informal settlement that is known as DRC. That is more than 40,000 people living in the DRC, and most of the people are people that are unemployed. That gives a demand on service delivery, which is housing, water and electricity; however, the council is trying its best with the help of the central government because one of the council's priorities is to prioritise service delivery to our residents," she said.

Community leader James Hansen says the tragedy exposed long-standing problems in informal settlements.

Many shacks have no access to safe electricity. Families rely on illegal connections, candles, and open fires for cooking and warmth, and this is how fire starts overcrowding," he said.

Among those affected is Daniel Hoheb, who moved to Swakopmund in 2023 from Windhoek for better opportunities.

Hoheb is calling for urgent government intervention to provide basic service to prevent future tragedies.

"I constructed my shack next to that of my brother. I came here to improve life. However, this tragic moment took away everything. I would like to ask for the government to assist us in any way, whether small or big," he said.