Africa-Press – Namibia. The Swakopmund Municipality has officially become the first local authority in Namibia to be declared an Authorised Planning Authority (APA) under the Urban and Regional Planning Act of 2018.
This means the town can now independently consider and approve development applications, including land rezoning, township establishment, and boundary alterations, without referring them to the line ministry for approval.
The approval, granted by the ministry on 19 August 2025 and confirmed in early September, is expected to speed up decision-making and attract more investment to the coastal town.
According to Swakopmund chief executive officer, Archie Benjamin, the new status marks a major milestone in local governance and service delivery.
“This declaration empowers Swakopmund to take control of its own spatial and development planning. It means that we can now process and decide on development applications right here at the coast, without the lengthy back-and-forth with the ministry,” he explained.
Benjamin added that the new arrangement would make planning and land management more efficient. Stating that in the past, applications had to be approved by both council and the line ministry which often delayed projects and discouraged potential investors.
With this authorisation, decisions will now be made faster, improving service delivery and promoting development,” Benjamin said.
According to him the new status would also improve the municipality’s image and responsiveness to residents’ needs, as planning decisions taken locally are more sensitive to the concerns of residents and local circumstances.
He says this will not only improve efficiency but also strengthen investor confidence in Swakopmund’s ability to manage its own development.
He says council started the process in 2018 when the municipality began developing the Swakopmund Structure Plan 2020–2040, the first to be approved under the Urban and Regional Planning Act.
The plan was adopted by council in November 2020 and approved by the ministry in April 2022 before being gazetted in August the same year.
Following that, the municipality re-submitted its application to be declared an Authorised Planning Authority, which was approved this year after the Urban and Regional Planning Board confirmed Swakopmund’s compliance with all legal and technical requirements.
He says in order to qualify the municipality had to meet strict conditions, including maintaining an approved zoning scheme and employing at least one registered town and regional planner with a minimum of three years of post-registration experience.
Benjamin said the recognition was a sign of trust in the municipality’s competence.
“This decision by the ministry shows confidence in our internal systems and capacity to manage development matters professionally.
It places a great responsibility on us to ensure that our planning and development processes remain transparent, accountable, and aligned with national goals,” he said. Benjamin said the municipality is already preparing to implement its new responsibilities effectively.
He added that the municipality would soon issue a public notice to inform residents and investors of what the new status entails.
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