Namibia: Oranjemund opens to the public!

The Namibian town of Oranjemund, located on the northern bank of the Orange River mouth at the border to South Africa, is set to become a "normal" open town. According to the town council, which was only proclaimed in 2011, the public will be able to visit the town of Oranjemund without acquiring an access permit to enter from 14 October 2017. As of now, access to and settlement in the town is restricted to employees of Namdeb and their relatives. 

Oranjemund has been a closed privately owned town since it was established in 1936 by the then Consolidated Diamond Mines (CDM). The successor of CDM, Namdeb, owns almost all the infrastructure and property in the town and residents have been provided with free housing, water and electricity from the beginning till to date. This is going to change next month. Effective September 2017, residents of Oranjemund will have to pay for municipal services to support council development plans, as well as to normalise the operation of the town.