Windhoek
With the July 31 deadline set by Affirmative Repositioning (AR) fast approaching, the land activists are working around the clock to ensure its planned land occupations are done legally.
The land activism movement’s Legal Consultative Forum Steering Committee made up of a group of young lawyers has been working underground doing research on the country’s laws pertaining to delivery of housing and land servicing.
The steering committee on Tuesday announced it would this weekend host a legal consultative forum to discuss issues such as land occupation, eviction, housing finance, the land tenure system and a land and housing price control board.
Chairperson of the steering committee Henry Shimutwikeni said about 200 delegates with extensive legal knowledge would attend the forum.
“At this point the steering committee has identified and recorded social solutions to the housing crisis. The proposed solutions will be tabled to the forum so that those in attendance can identify the laws that need to be changed or created to realize social solutions,” he said.
Another member of the steering committee, Khadila Amoomo, said land is a human right and accused government of going against international laws that prohibit the eviction of squatters.
“Land is a human right according to Article 16, sub-article 1 of the Namibian constitution and no human being should be evicted from their homes,” he said.
One of the AR founding members, Job Amupanda, said at the press conference the movement is ready to sit with government to find an amicable solution to the countrywide housing crisis.
“We do not want to see [mere] political statements being made by politicians, we want practical solutions. They are talking of cabinet committees that were set up to deal with land, but then again there have always been committees and political statements which never brought any solutions,” he said.
Asked whether AR will call off its planned land occupation slated for month end, Amupanda said: “AR is not a Job movement, it comprises of youth all over the country, they are the ones who will decide.”
“All we want is land, nothing else. Whether it is serviced or unserviced land, we have many young people who are qualified to service land,” he said.