WINDHOEK – Fifty-four-year-old Emmanuel Ndukireepo who has been living in a tent erected outside the family house from where his family was evicted says their safety is compromised.
The eviction of his family took place seven months ago compelling them to live in a makeshift home but his family lives in fear of their lives.
The tent is situated outside house number 4956 in the Single Quarters in Genesis Street.
Ndukireepo who has been fighting to regain ownership of his late brother’s house sold under ‘uncertain’ circumstances says some people in the neighbourhood urinate on their tent, park cars close to the tent and play loud music until late at night giving them sleepless nights.
“I cannot go out to tell them to stop doing so because I fear they might come back to hurt or kill me,” said Ndukireepo. He added that food and possessions in the home are often stolen and in some cases vandalised because thieves and strangers make their way into their tent when the owners are not around.
“People urinate on top of the tent and when I am fed up I go out to ask why they are doing so and all they say is sorry and continue urinating. I cannot really use force because I fear for my life. Maybe they (intruders) do that because they know that the land I am on belongs to the municipality. I cannot tell them to stop because I know that this place is not safe and they might come back to get me at night when I am asleep,” said Ndukireepo.
He says he shared his concerns with the police but nothing much was done as he was told the house no longer belongs to his family.
Khomas Regional Crime Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Silvanus Nghishidimbwa said Ndukireepo contacted him on Sunday regarding his concerns.
Nghishidimbwa said he referred him to the relevant authorities within the Namibian police should he see any suspicious movements.
“We will not necessarily guard each and every house and we don’t have space where we will take him, that lies in his hands,” said Nghishidimbwa.
The police cannot relocate him to the house from which they were evicted as that would be contempt of court. “The police have nothing to do with the eviction,” added Nghishidimbwa.
Ndukireepo said he requested the municipality to provide him with temporary shelter while fighting his battles to get back the house but that has proved futile.
The family of seven was served with an eviction order on 26 March this year, after they failed to ‘legally’ prove that the house was sold under dubious circumstances in October 2011.
The owner of the house the late Rudolf Ndukireepo, who died last February was allegedly given alcohol to consume and when he was drunk his sister and an accomplice allegedly coerced him into signing papers indicating that he would sell the house for N$30 000.
This led to him and his family losing their house six months later. The family has been living in a tent since March.
Katutura Central Constituency Councillor, Ambrosius Kandjii, provided the temporary shelter for the family when they were ordered to leave the house that they have been fighting to get back after being served with several eviction orders during the past three years.