OMUTHIYA – The Oniipa and Omuthiya town councils have expressed concern over the high amount of compensation communal landowners are demanding or seeking to develop the land independently.

During a meeting of the National Council Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure, and Housing held in Omuthiya on Wednesday, the Oniipa Town Council’s Property and Land Management officer, Rebekka Nuule, said communal landowners feel the compensation offered by the council is insufficient, and this often leads to disputes.

“For instance, the owner of property valued at around N$600 000 will demand N$20 million for it, or say they will look for developers so that they can develop it and build houses themselves,” said Nuule.

She said communal landowners are increasingly becoming reluctant to sell their land to the council, prefer to subdivide it, erect structures, and sell plots directly to individuals.

Oniipa was proclaimed a town in 2015, and currently has seven extensions.

Omuthiya Town Council CEO Petrus Shuuya also said the authority was facing challenges with compensation for land occupied by traditional homesteads.

“We still have land that is occupied by homesteads that we need to compensate people for, and the compensation fund is not coming forth. It is causing a lot of land issues now as some people are subdividing the land for their children,” said Shuuya.

He also highlighted concerns over the increasing construction of expensive houses on townlands, which could lead to the town council having to purchase the land at inflated prices.

Additionally, there are complaints from landowners who feel they are being inadequately compensated and prefer to donate land to their beneficiaries.

The meeting sought to address the challenges of land and housing delivery in urban areas. -Nampa