Report on the Exchange by the Malawians on 19 to 24 July 2005

 

The following group from Malawi visited Namibia:

John Chome: Director of Planning and Development - Blantyre City

Lucky Kabanga: Project Coordinator – Cities Without Slums - Blantyre City

Daudi S.R (Ms): Project Team member –Cities Without Slums - Blantyre Cit

Kelby S Chirwa Dept of Housing (name not yet in) Ministry of Housing, Lands, Physical Panning & Surveys

Hendersen Njaka:  Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development

Jean Chilaje: Federation member Blantyre

Mphatso Banda: Federation member Blantyre

Sarah Jameson: Federation member Lilongwe

 

Purpose of the visit was to learn about the relationship between Federation, Government and Local Authority. Blantyre City Assembly is working on a project “City without slums” and therefore felt they could learn from other countries about the involvement of the communities at large.

 

The first day- 20^th was a visit to SDFN projects in Windhoek, the visit to projects was as follows:

• Visited a construction site where 98 houses are built by the saving groups: During the visit, saving members explained how they started, negotiation for land, acquiring of loans, construction of houses and the visitors asked question about their work.
• Visited groups in Goreangab that has installed water and sewer before construction of houses commenced:  Members explained how they have done excavations and constructions of manholes.
• Visited groups that has build houses, complete with installation of sewer and water.
• Visited groups that are experimenting with biogas with assistance from University of Namibia.

 

On the 21^st the delegation visited the following institutions for meetings:

• Meeting with Director of Housing, Habitat Coordination and Technical Services, Deputy Director of Housing, Chief Control Officer for Housing and

Director explained the relationship between NHAG/SDFN/ her Ministry (Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing and Rural Development (MRLGHRD) and she further explained what the Ministry does about housing delivery.  The saving groups as beneficiaries of the decentralized Build Together program receive loans as groups.  Malawians explained about the Ministries and City Assemblies housing and land delivery process. The delegation were given the of the housing policy, built together program booklet, housing development act.

• Visit to the City of Windhoek:  Mr Kisting from Sustainable Development explained the development and upgrading strategy of the municipality.  The city develops land according to different level, to cater for different income groups.  The  lowest are the one the SDFN used, namely blocks of land with bulk infra structure.  The internal servicing and planning is done by the community incrementally. 
• The last activity for the day was the participation in a historical ceremony.  The first upgrading agreement with a community was signed between the City of Windhoek and the inhabitants of an informal settlement -  Green Matongo C. The saving groups forming part of the Federation initiated this upgrading process and the community is responsible for the installation of  services, roads and surveying of blocks of land. The agreement was signed by Councillor Ekandjo from the  City Council on behalf of the City and two members on behalf of the community.

 

On the 22^nd   the group traveled to Gobabis, a town 200 kilometers east of Windhoek. The purpose of the visit was to attend the land committee meeting that is between the Municipality of Gobabis’s Councillors, Officials and Community.  This is the first committee in a Local Authority being facilitated by the community at their community center. Before the meeting the community prepared what they are going to discuss with the Municipality. After the meeting, the delegation was shown the development done by the group (installation of services and construction of houses). After lunch we returned to Windhoek for a review as reported below

 

On the 23^rd the delegation was taken to Habitat Research and Development Center (HRDC) for the open day exhibitions about solar energy, stoves that uses fewer wood and energy efficiency. HRDC is an initiative of the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing and Rural Development (MRLGHRD) to research on building material that could be used low cost housing.

Malawians’ visit review

 

The visit review started at 17h10

18 People were present.

Heinrich opened the meeting. The main aim of this meeting was to reflect on the visit and the way forward.

Contributions

Malawian Federation members   Since arriving, they have experienced a lot of which they didn’t expect, especially the HIV/AIDS program in the Namibian.   The federation impressed them by addressing health issues, which they don’t have in their country, therefore they have stressed that they will implement these ideas back at their country. The learned from the land beneficiary selection process, whereby the group select members that qualify for available plots and how the community was mobilisd at Greenwell C meeting.  They saw how it important it was not to give cash to individual members as a lady from Yambidhidha misused the money intended for buying her materials.  She also bought cheap second materials and her house is still incomplete, this and the group is now embarrassed with an incomplete house. It is  of interest to them that even children must get involved in SDFN savings, whereby these monies can be used to pay school fees, uniforms and all other unaffordable necessities. The government, municipality and other NGOs support the SDFN here, priority given by the government to give the lesser-privileged people land. This was their first trip traveling with the municipal and government officials, which is very fascinating, although they have traveled at South Africa and other African countries. They feel well accommodated by the SDFN members.

When they visited Zimbabwe they were shown empty plots, in SA some members have given up only because of the available selection is not fair and only certain individuals benefited. Here it’s a group that select who qualify on individuals’ performance in SDFN activities and they have seen structures erected and local authority involvement. The important thing is that the meeting with the City of Windhoek and the Housing ministry has opened their horizon and they will now know how to arrange similar meetings in Malawi with all stakeholders. Impressed by the commitment of the municipality at the signing of the agreement document, shows it’s committed to assisting the SDFN. When agreements are signed the community is assured that there is no turning back and this encouraged them to carry out tasks assigned. They have also experience the negative impact of giving members cash even in SA therefore no one must experiment this. The establishment of the SDFN centres/office and the ability to acquire land for their centres which makes it easy to mobilise and exchanging of ideas that are beneficiary to the SDFN members. She hopes their municipality will also assist them to get land so that they can build their information centres.

Way forward for the Federations, what will happen between Malawi and Namibia:

Malawian delegation,

• Of what they have experienced here in Namibia will be implement although it will be through  try and error

• Although its only 3 of them who has come to these visit and has experience a lot they are requesting and inviting SDFN members to visit Malawi and come to assist and support them, because if they go there their counterparts will be highly encouraged. Its not that they don’t have the capacity it’s just that they have started recently.
• They appreciated the offer from SDI since they indicated to construct house in August of which all houses will be constructed at the same time. They will make a formal request to the Edith who is heading the Technical team to assist.
• Heinrich emphasised that we all in a learning process and they mustn’t be discouraged by seeing what already started in the 90s or where they have build more houses.

Edith

·         Have learned a new thing, which is Funeral saving/assistance whereby groups contribute every month not in terms of money but of any kind of assistance e.g. maize meal bags or flour. Unlike in Namibia whereby groups only regard to support those members within their group.

Christof

When we are in groups we must regard others as a family and implement funerals savings.

 

Officials from the Ministry of Housing, Lands and Physical Panning & Surveys   Have on many occasions gone on visits to target the housing policy, but Malawi still doesn’t have housing policy. Up to now there is no amicable solution of giving houses to the poor in Malawi. What they have seen here had given them hopes, because they were suppose to hold a meeting to come up with housing policies and might just use the information he has seen here. Relationship with the Malawian Shack Dwellers is very weak; there were some members who have come to their ministry to sign a memorandum of understanding but were snubbed. He has learnt a lot from the Namibian Ministry of Housing and Rural Development and NHAG, when it comes to terms of acquiring land. They will now check whether this will also work back in Malawi. Cooperation among the SDFN members is very good. There are people who really can’t afford descent houses but they must get involved in income generating projects in order to be able to an afford houses. People mustn’t only think of houses as a concern but look beyond that. There are still unanswered questions, what will happen if a member finish paying off his house. He will try his level best to convince his ministry that there must be Federation representative in the housing policy-Habitat committee.   The ministry of Local government, Housing and Rural development see to it to that every citizens get land, the cooperation and commitment from different stakeholders has impressed him in Namibia. Maybe because the local government and housing and rural development ministry are together maybe that’s why the Namibians are a bit stronger and a step forward. The central government makes sure that the municipality supports the SDFN with houses. The role played by NHAG by facilitating and acquiring funds for the SDFN is very good which is lacking in their country.  Communities need this kind of support.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Officials from City of Blantyre Was impressed by the way the community knows their problems and the way they mobilise themselves to tackle different issues as well as seeing the way forward, whereby the SDFN only comes in to advice them.  Community empowerment is a very important issue.  It is a mind set whereby people are not only waiting on handouts, but by doing, they lobby support. They will also try to influence their people to start doing in the city of Malawi. A commitment is shown by the municipality and ministry to assist the people to uplift their living standard. He also feels that they must come together to discuss how they can to uplift the lives of Blantyre communities. Central and local government here is working as partners and there is no distance. That iss why they feel Namibia is successful. They might come back or invite them to inform them more on how they can achieve their goals.

 

Questions:

An official of the Malawian delegation asked if “There was any compensation done by the municipality of Gobabis when moving a certain community because they also has the same problem back home of moving people to certain areas.

Heinrich responded at the question that there was not any compensation done.

• People settled there without municipal permission
• There was no access to toilets, clean water and the public water point was very far. Therefore the municipality has just prepared the land for them with services installed. Although, when members were mobilized some weren’t interested.
• It’s just a matter of favorable conditions, clean water and toilets.

 

Another official asked if the community of Greenwell has a clear understanding of that 30 page agreement they signed.

Edith answered that there was consultation before the agreement signing and the community has a clear understanding of it.

 

Lastly Heinrich thanked the Malawian delegations especially the municipal official who specifically deals with the communities. We must look at future workable solutions with more exchanges.