WINDHOEK – The mushrooming of illegal squatter shops of Chinese nationals plying their merchandise in the streets of Katutura has begun to fuel the anger of residents. The shops have also attracted the attention of the Windhoek Municipality, which yesterday said it would conduct an investigation of the matter.
Katutura residents now complain that the municipality is very eager to issue stern warnings against the erection of illegal dwellings in the informal settlements but seems to tolerate the illegal shops and structures of the Chinese in formal residential areas.
Residents say the Chinese businesses are illegal ‘shebeens’ that sell apparel and other merchandise.
The ‘shebeens’ or ‘kambashus’ are made from zinc sheets. The owners of the ‘shebeens’, which however are not known to sell alcohol, are purportedly paying ‘rent’ to the house owner in whose yard it stands. The reason is supposedly to avoid paying rent for stalls or space at shopping centres.
Compounding the residents’ anger is the fact that most of the Chinese owners employ one another instead of employing locals in their ‘shebeens’.
“What are the role of the Chinese people in this country, are they not supposed to be the ones providing jobs to locals,” said Pele Tjirimuje a resident in one of the streets where there is a Chinese ‘shebeen’ shop.
New Era visited the Katutura streets of Clemence Kapuuo, Rabby, Shanghai, among others, where such illegal ‘shebeen’ shops have been erected. Contacted for comment on Thursday, an evidently peturbed spokesperson of the Windhoek Municipality, Joshua Amukugo, demanded to be told where the structures are situated.
“Please tell me where they are so that I can send people to see these structures,” he demanded.
He however said he could not comment on the matter as he still needed to contact the City Police and the municipality’s Economic Development and Community Services departments.
“I still need to contact those people as to why this is happening,” he added.
By Kuzeeko Tjitemisa