KAMANJAB – Some youths at the northwestern village of Kamanjab feel sidelined over the current allocations of residential plots, further charging that people from outside this small town benefit the most.
Belinda Khamuxas-Ndara, a youth at Kamanjab claims those who were born in Kamanjab are systematically being sidelined when it comes to plot allocations.
“I was born, raised and I grew up here. I attended school until Grade 9 at Kamanjab Combined School,” Khamuxas-Ndara said.
She narrated that she applied for and allocated a plot in the middle of last year in Kap and Bou informal settlements, but when she came to check on the plot for which she had applied to erect her shack, someone else had already constructed a shack on it. “I have papers for the plot that was given to me but I was told to leave that plot and that the village council will allocate me another plot,” Khamuxas-Ndara said. “I still have papers with the erf number showing that plot was allocated to me.”
“There is no way someone will stand up and erect a shack unless someone from the village council reallocated it,” she further said.
A few weeks after losing her residential plot, the 27-year-old claims she was informed by the now acting Kamanjab village secretary Jakobus Buruxa Namaseb that applications for the Build Together Programme houses where open for submission.
Khamuxas-Ndara says this time she applied with her husband name as he might have a better chance for approval since he was not from Kamanjab, but her second application was unsuccessful.
Khamuxas-Ndara says that her young son does not have a place to stay in Kamanjab, where he attends school and has to move from house to house as she works at a lodge outside Kamanjab. “When we are on leave, me and my husband have to sleep in the sitting rooms of other people, which is not good. Why should we suffer like this in our village? We also want to start our life on our own plot,” said the dejected plot applicant.
“ Those of us who are from the area are landless while others from outside Kamanjab own plots, that is unfair,” she said.
Another youth who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “We are from Kamanjab but outsiders are favoured to get plots.” Another one chipped in saying “It seems like we have to beg to get plots while outsiders build their big houses here.”
Acting Kamanjab village secretary, Jacobus Buruxa Namaseb says those residents who were moved from another area where given the first option for plots in Kap and Bou informal settlement since the previous area was being serviced. “The first options were given to those who have to move from their previous places as it was serviced. Then only others were allowed to apply for plots since some refused to move to the new area allocated to them,” Namaseb explained.
“You can see how many youths are in that area (Kap and Bou). If her (Khamuxas-Ndara’s) claims are evidence based, than I will respond,” Namaseb said.
“We cannot discriminate when it comes to selling of plots. There are criteria and evaluations done and those who meet the requirement get the plots. There is a bid evaluation and procurement committee,” Namaseb said. The acting village secretary also says that people who applies might receive enough income but might have too many expenses and based on this might not get the residential plot.