TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP BRIEFS MURD ON READINESS

Posted: 30 Jan 2025

Lüderitz has been earmarked as the country’s strategic logistics and industrial hub, with hopes that the impending economic boom would be beneficial for the entire nation and Southern Africa. The mammoth task of transforming the town’s hundred-year-old infrastructure in addition to planning for the establishments of new townships and a deep-sea port (amongst other developments), lies heavily on the shoulders of the current political and administrative leadership of the Town Council. The re-engineering and forward planning are a pre-requisite, that will enable the town to accommodate the envisaged Green Hydrogen Energy, Kudu Gas and Crude Oil economic sectors, not forgetting the service providers to these industries. The Technical Working Group (TWG) was formed applying the Whole-of-Government Approach (WGA) methodology, where diverse state Offices, Ministries and Agencies (OMAS) join together see to fruition the Town Council’s ambitious townlands expansion vision. The TWG is comprised of the National Planning Commission, NAMWATER, NAMPOWER, Ministries of Urban and Rural Development, Mines and Energy, Environment, Forestry and Tourism and other key stakeholders, mandated with specific Terms-of-References with the aim of expediting the acquisition and deproclamation of approximately 290 000 hectares within both the Namib-Naukluft and //Tsau Khaeb National Parks. The Lüderitz Town Council lead by the Chairperson of the Management Committee Hon. Cllr. Benjamin Mckay and the Acting Chief Executive Officer Mr. Otto K. Shipanga together with NAMWATER, briefed the Minister of Urban and Rural Development Hon. Erastus Uutoni and his Deputy Hon. Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele accompanied by the Executive Director Mr. Nghidinua Daniel, his Deputy Mr. Lameck Uyepa, the National Planning Commission and ministerial administrators on the 29 January 2025 in Windhoek at the Ministries Headquarters. The working meeting updated the congregation on the status of the townland’s expansion, the town’s required infrastructure upgrades, the expenditure progress report of the allocated CAPEX of N$ 91 000 000.00 and additional funding prayers for the 2025/26 financial period. The Honourable Minister who chaired the more than two-hours long meeting, in conclusion; applauded the Town Council on a job well done thus far and issued instructions to all parties with timelines for the realization of the targets sets as he called for urgency in the towns’ transformation agenda.