WALVIS BAY – In their quest for decent housing, the Backyard Tenants Group applied for another portion of land from the Walvis Bay municipality earlier this week. The group was allocated Portion 19 by the Walvis Bay municipal council for the construction of their own homes at Farm 37.
However, they say the land allocated to them is insufficient to cater to their over-2 000 members.
Vice chairperson of the group Imanuel Pombili ya Festus said: “More people continue to sign up with us. Hence, we felt it necessary to apply for Portion 23. This portion is also close to Portion 19, and that is why it is in our best interest to also apply for that portion.”
He said they are busy with developing infrastructural designs. Hence, it will be cost-effective for them to service both portions.
However, the application did not sit well with Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes.
“Is this the norm for meetings these days… that you are coming like this to hand over applications? What I don’t like are forceful tendencies, and I don’t respond to them. You know we have an open-door policy,” he said.
He added that the group had every right to schedule a meeting if their previous concerns were not addressed. He said the council has always been favourable to their requests.
“We feel for them, and we want to assist them. However, we must also look at other applications that have come through for Farm 37. At the moment, people at Farm 37 are not happy with the living conditions. They must just be mindful of the process of acquiring land,” he said.
Farm 37 was identified in 2016 by late Erongo governor Cleophas Mutjavikua as a solution to the housing shortage facing the town. It is situated about 7km east of Walvis Bay.
The community savings’ group organised themselves to apply for land due to the exorbitant rental and property prices in Walvis Bay.
They were earlier awarded a 33-hectare piece of land that will create erven for approximately 1 100 low-income residents at Farm 37. They claim the land awarded to them will deliver approximately 686 single residential erven.
Currently, Farm 37 residents mainly consist of fire victims and backyard tenants, who were looking for an affordable place to call home.
About 40 families have already settled at the place, with more arriving gradually after earlier being informed that they would risk losing their plots if they failed to erect their structures.