The City Police have called on members of the public to report incidences of illegal shacks being erected, including those erected at night, before they are completed. City Police spokesperson Cillie Auala also said the building of illegal structures without municipal approval comes with a fine of N$1 000 for a first-time offender and N$2 000 for a second-time offender. “The general trend indicates that many illegal structures are erected at night or in the early morning hours, but with assistance from the public it’s easier for officers to respond on time,” remarked Auala. Windhoek’s informal settlements have expanded over the years with some shacks to the western side of Windhoek reaching the mountains. It is also estimated that over 100 000 people live in shacks in the capital. Auala said Babylon informal settlement’s community members recently alerted the police about a man in the area who built two new structures without municipal permission. “The discovery came to light after members of the community alerted the police. This comes after an ongoing exercise of public education awareness on illegal structures through various media platform like TV, radio and print,” she said. Auala added that this is despite the ongoing call from the City Police to Windhoek residents and visitors to follow the municipal legal process of acquiring land. In the photo is an illegal structure in Babylon informal settlement.