The City of Windhoek will have no tolerance for illegal settlers and will take all steps necessary to remove them from its land.
Windhoek is experiencing mushrooming informal settlements and land invasion, particularly on the edge of the urban area, mainly because of migration from smaller towns in search of jobs and other opportunities.
The relentless nature of land invasion calls for urgent action, the spokesperson of the City of Windhoek, Joshua Amukugo, said yesterday.
He said land invasion is not limited to residential settlements. Informal trading, particularly on road reserves, is increasing at an alarming rate.
“There is a mushrooming of illegal business shacks that have been erected on the road reserves.”
He said the invasion of City land makes service delivery and planning by the City of Windhoek very difficult. The process of transferring this land to other parties for development purposes has become problematic, he said.
“The illegal settlements also compound the challenges to orderly develop land and the delivery of health and commercial services are placed in jeopardy in settlements in underdeveloped areas where there is no provision for roads and other infrastructure.”
Amukugo explained that the municipality is only allowed to demolish or remove a structure before it is habitable. “Once it has been lived in we must go to the court to get an eviction order. This makes it difficult for us.”
He stressed that illegal settlers should not get too comfortable. “If a road has to go through their structure, tough luck; if a school has to be built, tough luck; if there must be a hospital, tough luck for you. Town planning decides, tough luck for you illegal settlers, you must go whether it is to the farthest or the nearest mountain, I do not care.”
Amukugo said the municipality will obtain and execute eviction orders against everyone occupying City land illegally. It will explore the option of recruiting private contractors that will be able to respond at any time of the day.
He said action has already been taken against illegal settlers, with security guards patrolling the grounds making sure no new shacks are erected.
According to him, squatting at Goreangab (Farm RE/508), Farm Emarentia 380, Otjomuise, Okuryangava and road reserves are the main problem.
At Goreangab Farm, shacks are encroaching deep into the mountains in the direction of the Goreangab Water Reclamation Plant, where burglaries have frequently been reported.
This is against the Water Act, which stipulates that a 500-metre radius must be kept clear around a facility where sewage is treated.
According to Amukugo the fence around the reclamation plant has been vandalised and removed, which poses a health risk to the people living in this area.
At Commange no. 3 the commercial farmers owning neighbouring farms have asked the municipality to intervene, as the illegal settlers are causing trouble and vandalising their properties.
These squatters are stealing the farmers’ boundary fences, poaching, causing veld fires and also causing deforestation, said Amukugo.
He added that there is a disparity in the development of towns and cities.
“Windhoek has been made so attractive that every second person wants to live here. The national leaders have to expand the attractiveness of other towns in Namibia to ensure that people stop running away from their towns.”
WINDHOEK ELLANIE SMIT
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