Rehoboth development on track
The town has grown from 29 000 inhabitants in 2011 to more than 42 000 residents today.
The chief executive officer of the Rehoboth municipality, Ronald Windswaai, recently shared highlights of development at the town over the last five years, from 2020 to 2025.According to Windswaai, the municipality has completed twenty major development projects during this period.
In particular, the paving and expansion of Kerk Street, from the Ruimte Primary School to the highway connecting Rehoboth to the rest of the country, stands out. The street at the Rehoboth Cemetery has also been upgraded and renamed in honour of the late President Hage Geingob, with the approval of the Roads Authority.
Meanwhile, the connecting street has also been upgraded and renamed after the historic Rehoboth Baster leader, Kaptein Hans Diergaardt. Another notable achievement, Windswaai said, was the installation of traffic lights near the Puma service station.
The Rehoboth Town Council has successfully sold land for the construction of Agra’s hub in the town, with the approval of the line ministry, Windswaai added, noting that an access road will be established to ease traffic to the hub. Meanwhile, 150 erven have been allocated to the Saamstaan community, where two of five extensions are to be proclaimed, while the council is looking into providing municipal services to the informal area.
Waterworks
The town’s oxidation ponds are being upgraded, with an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) being sought, while construction valued at N$10 million is to be funded by central government through the National Planning Commission of Namibia.
According to Windswaai, the town’s sewerage capacity - thanks to the oxidation ponds - was designed for 17 000 residents in 2011, when Rehoboth already had a population of 29 000. The town’s population has since grown to around 42 000. Rehabilitation of Pond 4 remains a challenge, as funding for the work still needs to be secured, he said.
Expanding the reticulation network, the council has allocated N$4 million for the provision of sewerage lines to Kuvukiland Extensions 1 and 2, where a contractor is currently on site, Windswaai said. The construction of the main sewerage lines to service Blocks G and H has also been completed.
He praised the current town council for ensuring the Rehoboth Fire Station was finally completed in 2023, noting that it should have been established as far back as 2015.
Safety
The initial surveying of erven in Burgershoek and Volstruis has made provision for plots measuring between 300m² and 350m², and some inhabitants have already started selling these erven, albeit prematurely, he said. A community committee has been established to restore order amid mushrooming shebeens and other social challenges in the area, he added. A police public relations committee has also begun holding monthly meetings, while high-mast lighting now ensures the area is illuminated at night. A high-mast light has also been installed near the iconic Echo Shell Service Station, he said.
Windswaai expressed particular pride that Rehoboth has not followed the Red Force route regarding debt collection, opting instead for a local solution. “We decided to look for people here with experience in that business and employ them temporarily to collect debts owed to us. They’ve already been employed for the past two years, and we’ve seen a significant improvement, although there are still some residents who cannot honour their repayment agreements,” he said. “We won’t abandon the project, because it is our own initiative,” he added.
Services
With funding from central government through NamWater, Rehoboth also intends to start installing around 6 000 prepaid water meters before the end of November to help residents avoid high debts in future. “There are companies already prepared to do the installation,” Windswaai said.
Prepaid electricity meters are also planned for informal structures built on formalised land, he added. A tender for additional street lighting and the installation of prepaid electricity meters has been re-scoped and is expected to be advertised imminently.
With the help of the former regional governor, the current town council has also allocated ownership of 609 homes under the Rehoboth Alienation Scheme, with transfers now at the town’s deeds office. These residents will be the first to receive prepaid water meters free of charge, Windswaai noted. The council also succeeded in having government treasury write off debts of around N$26 million owed by residents.
Furthermore, the town council plans to provide 42 agri-plots of five hectares each to young urban farmers and youth groups under the Reho Green Scheme, he said. In more good news for Rehoboth’s youth, a memorandum of understanding has been signed with Lingua Training College, which could see the establishment of the facility next year. The council also intends to allocate six hectares of land to the Baster Traditional Authority, should the government decide to recognise it formally, according to Windswaai.