WINDHOEK- The City of Windhoek and Khomas regional councillors yesterday claimed that residents’ illegal occupation of land at 8ste Laan in Otjomuise was a result of political instigation by opposition parties.
About 30 people including children got a rude awakening on Tuesday night when the structures they illegally built on Saturday – close to the Sam Nujoma drive on the way to Daan Viljoen – were removed. Seven illegal shacks were demolished.
The mayor of the City of Windhoek, Agnes Kafula, the councillor of the Khomasdal North Constituency, Margaret Mensah-Williams, Councillor of the Katutura Central Constituency, Ambrosuis Kandjii and City Police Chief Abraham Kanime were among those who visited the scene of demolition yesterday.
In unison, they all claimed that the move by the residents to occupy land without legal permission was an instigation by opposition parties who are hungry for votes in this month’s election.
Kafula specifically singled out COD, RDP and Nudo as chief instigators.
The Windhoek mayor said these parties “should not use cheap politics” to provoke the situation.
“They are testing the City of Windhoek to see how we will react. We know it’s instigation by the opposition,” Kafula charged.
Kafula has dominated newspaper headlines this week for her alleged attempts to allocate prime lands to well-connected individuals, including her son.
Asked if the Otjomuise land grabs could be motivated by the way she has been approving allocation land to connected individuals, Kafula said she does not want to connect what was reported in the media to the land grabs.
“We know and it’s a fact that whenever there is an election the opposition parties take advantage by instigating people to grab land because they have been promising the people land,” she said.
Kanime said politicians should not interfere with the law. “Why are politicians coming to interfere in the law?,” he queried, adding that when he took up his position he swore to “carry out his duties without fear or favour”.
When our reporter pointed to the big contrast between people getting plots for next to nothing in the richer areas while the poor are being chased away from the tiny plots they occupy, Kanime said: “You cannot compare the two. It’s an issue of development. It’s them [the poor] who are stopping the development by occupying illegal land”.
Mensah-Williams said the people who put up those structures are not inhabitants of the Khomasdal North constituency. “We (people in the constituency) apply for land and we follow procedures. It’s election time and that is when some parties will try and score political points,” she said.
Kafula said the occupied are is not safe particularly for women and children, who could be easily raped.
There are no ablution facilities as the land is not serviced, Kafula said.
CoD president Ben Ulenga, who said he witnessed the removals on Tuesday, distanced his party from claims of political instigation.
“It’s a moving sight to see people’s shacks being destroyed. The land belongs to the people. Whom does Kafula want to give it to? Does she want to give it to the Russians or what? It’s not Kafula’s or the Russians’ land,” Ulenga said.
The RDP spokesperson, Jeremiah Nambinga said Namibians did not fight to gain back land from colonial oppressors so that the children of the well-connected can buy land at cheaper prices.
“Poor people need land that’s why they are grabbing it. We have nothing to instigate”.
Nudo president Asser Mbai was not reachable.
The affected residents maintained that they simply want to own land of their own.
One of them said he has been applying for land since 2005 but has up to now not received favourable answers.
“It’s not because of elections that we are doing this. We want houses and we don’t have money to pay rent,” said Rachel Ndjiharime, who earns N$700 per month from her job.
“If I go and rent an expensive flat what how will I survive with my children?,” Ndjiharime queried. “It’s not about elections. We have been voting but nothing changes,” said another man.