WINDHOEK – The Singles Quarters family of seven that a week ago had to spent the night in the rain after they were evicted now reside in a makeshift tent outside the house from which they were kicked-out.
They say they have nowhere to go and would rather stay in the tent and do whatever they can to restore their legitimate ownership of the house, which they lost for a mere N$30 000 under questionable circumstances in October 2011. The owner of the house, late Rudolf Ndukireepo, who has since passed away was allegedly offered too much liquor by the present owners and when he got drunk he was coerced into signing papers that ultimately cost them the house.
The late Ndukireepo said on numerous occasions before his death that he was under the impression that he was renting out one room for business purposes to the person who plied him with the liquor. His brother Emmanuel also maintains that the circumstances under which the house was ‘bought’ are highly suspect and questionable and he continues to fight hoping that justice will prevail in the end and that they would regain ownership of the house. “We do not know what to do anymore. We went to Legal Aid, but we owe them N$11 000 and the lawyers refused to help us until we settle that amount. It is unfortunate that we do not have that amount or additional money to pay the lawyers to fight on our behalf,” Emmanuel told New Era yesterday.
Since 2011 the family has been emroiled in a legal battle to reclaim their home, but to no avail. Only last week Monday they were served with an eviction order which they defied. This led to their arrest and detention in police holding cells for several hours, along with the youngest child in the family, a 7-month-old infant. The backyard shacks belonging to some tenants on the property who paid rent to the evicted family were also destroyed. Katutura Central constituency councillor, Ambrosius Kandjii, donated a tent to the family who now reside outside the house, while they look for a permanent solution to their homelessness. “We have been sleeping in the tent. The children only went to school today,” said Emmanuel. Emmanuel who said he and his family have nowhere to go added that they relieve themselves in a public toilet at the Singles Quarters and ask for water for their every day use from the neighbours. “I am thinking of getting a plot for my family, but I plan to stay while we fight this corruption.
Hopefully the government will intervene and offer us some relieve and a solution to our problem. I also call on good Samaritans to come to our aid,” Emmanuel appealed. Last week the police loaded the family’s belongings in a truck and took it to the Katutura police station. However, although they managed to get back their belongings last Thursday they now claim two mobile phones are missing and that their cupboards were also damaged during the move and that baby formula and meat in their refrigerator is also missing. “My heart bleeds, we sleep in a tent that is not a good life at all,” lamented Mclean Ngunovandu yesterday. Deputy Commissioner, Edwin Kanguatjivi, the head of the police public relations division said the family should feel free to open a case with the police. Kanguatjivi further said he is not aware that mobile phones were confiscated by the police last week. “Whether the police will be held liable for that it is for the courts to decide. They should feel free to lay a case and it will be investigated and the culprits would be brought to book,” Kanguatjivi explained. Councillor Kandjii could not be reached for comment as his phone went unanswered and neither could the woman implicated in buying the house Zaapi Mungendje, as her phone also went unanswered yesterday.
By Alvine Kapitako