Africa-Press – Namibia. “AS the Mayor of Lüderitz, I need to be honest and admit that the Lüderitz Town Council does not have the required resources to provide all expected municipal services, urban planning, and development associated with the Green Hydrogen Project. As the Mayor of Lüderitz, I need to be honest; we need urgent funding, as per our projections, in order not to derail economic development and growth opportunities for our people. Our line ministry of urban and rural development needs to come on board with urgency. Lüderitz needs to be prioritised with urgency.”
The above are the words of Lüderitz Mayor Benjamin Mckay, who pleaded to President Hage Geingob to increase capital funding to the town so that it may be better positioned to provide municipal services with the advent of the Green Hydrogen Project.
Geingob visited the small coastal town of Lüderitz on 14 April, to inform the political leadership and all other stakeholders about the Green Hydrogen Project under the economic enhancement of the Harambee Prosperity Plan II.
Mckay, speaking at the event, shared that the town is experiencing an economic revival as a future economic hub for Namibia. “At this current moment, we have experienced the revival you prophesied. The oil company has already employed a lot of people, so the unemployment levels in our town have decreased. Our mines, which were down, have been revived again, and a lot of unemployed people have also received employment from this,” Mckay said.
He added that, from its near decline and abandonment, the town of Lüderitz is envisaged to become the economic epicentre for national developmental projects, like the envisaged Green Hydrogen Project and the ongoing exploration for gas and oil.
“These projects are definitely going to change the socio-economic landscape of our town, due to the foreseen influx of people,” Mckay said.
He added that, as a council, the issue of urban planning and development and its financing must be collectively addressed.
“Our local authority in Lüderitz is expected to create, expand, and develop certain facilities or infrastructures in order to provide the required municipal services to the community and, similarly, create a very conducive environment for businesses to thrive. The Lüderitz town council is currently tapping on its scarce resources to fund consultants and town planners for water and sewer, electrical, and road infrastructure master plans, and other studies to address the envisaged urban planning needs. The Lüderitz town council cannot plan in isolation; it requires a collective effort, including relevant government agencies. My humble appeal for His Excellency today, is for our President to intervene in terms of governmental support and possible coordination, because this matter of the Green Hydrogen Projects coming to Lüderitz needs to be prioritised,” McKay said.
He concluded that Lüderitz should be regarded as a special case in terms of capital funding, in support of and preparation for the Green Hydrogen Project.
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