Sam David: Formalisation must lead to land ownership

Affirmative Repositioning regional chairperson Sam David says Namibia’s informal settlement crisis is not primarily about housing affordability, but about exclusion and a system that does not provide residents with a clear path to land ownership. David argues that lease agreements and prolonged formalisation processes leave residents as perpetual tenants, despite the Constitution recognising the right to own property. He is calling for time-bound ownership and for housing subsidies, particularly for public servants, to be linked directly to serviced land and titles.