GIPF’s Osona Village gets off the groundPresident Hage Geingob yesterday laid the cornerstones of a new housing project at the Osona military base near Okahandja. 11 000 houses for uniformed personnel Soldiers, police officers and other members of the uniformed services yesterday celebrated the start of a project that will build 11 000 houses for them near Okahandja.President Hage Geingob officiated at the ceremony held across the road from the Osona Military Base.
The Osona Village is an initiative of the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF), in partnership with the private Preferred Investment Property Fund (PIPF), as part of the GIPF’s unlisted investment programme.
Speaking at the event, GIPF CEO David Nuyoma said the fund had pledged to contribute at least 30% of the government’s targeted housing and residential plot deliveries in the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP).
That amounts to about 6 000 units out of a housing target of 20 000, and 7 800 units of the targeted 26 000 new residential plots promised.
Yesterday’s ground-breaking ceremony specifically celebrated completion of the first phase of the Osona village, covering the servicing of 400 plots.
“This development will take place in phases and ultimately result in approximately 3 419 erven and 11 000 residential housing units,” Nuyoma told those in attendance.
He added that the project had already seen great interest from men and women in uniform, and was already over-subscribed at about 1 500 applicants.
“And we have not even laid one brick,” he told the president.
Delivering the keynote address, President Geingob applauded the initiators of the idea for addressing what he said was an important physiological need for citizens.
“Those who are among the largest group of victims of the housing conundrum include our youth and our men and women of the uniformed services,” Geingob said.
“On many occasions, I have lamented the fact that our soldiers and police officers are expected to carry out their duties with discipline, dedication and patriotic commitment. But how can we expect them to perform their tasks, which include the protection of VIPs, when they have no access to decent housing and are often forced to live in deplorable conditions?” Vowing that more such initiatives would be forthcoming to assist the housing needs of teachers and health professionals across the country, Geingob said a decent home could be the spark or catalyst to propel an individual beyond the poverty gap, towards prosperity.
Detailing the GIPF’s 2008-initiated unlisted investment programme, Nuyoma said N$3.3 billion had so far been committed to the project, most of which was earmarked for property development and financing of mortgage bonds for civil servants.
“Some of the milestones realised through this programme include the servicing of about 1 700 erven countrywide, construction and delivery of 559 houses, financing of 1 810 mortgage houses and mall developments,” he said.
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