WALVIS BAY – A group of approximately 50 people, evicted from a privately owned plot in Walvis Bay last week, say their cries for help have fallen on deaf ears despite seeking assistance from the municipality since 2020.
Their makeshift homes were demolished by the messenger of the court last Wednesday after the landowner, a member of the Namibian Police Damamombibeli Fotolela, obtained a High Court eviction order.
A widely circulated video of the eviction, showing residents, including pregnant women and children, watching helplessly as their homes were dismantled, has sparked public outrage. “We knew we were here illegally, but where are we supposed to go?” asked Wilhelmine Paulus, one of the evicted residents.
“We wrote to the mayor’s office and even our constituency councillor, but nobody helped us,” they said.
Another resident Alumeta Paulus stated that the ordeal has left many questioning whether the poor have any place in Namibia.
“Namibia is for the rich. We will never get land,” she said tearfully.
A third resident likened the eviction to apartheid-era brutality.
“This is exactly what our parents fought against. Now we are living through it again,” he said.
In a petition handed over to Erongo governor Natalia /Goagoses, the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) described the eviction as “barbaric and inhumane”.
They expressed concern that the demolition included the homes of school-going children and pregnant women, calling for a more humane approach.
Mayor walks out
Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes, who attended the gathering but left before the petition was officially handed over to the governor, said the group had enough time to vacate the property.
“Yes, I agree the eviction was inhumane and could have been handled differently. But this is private property, and you were informed. You were also asked to organise yourselves into a formal group and elect a committee to liaise with the council,” he told the crowd.
He cautioned against politicising the issue.
“I will not receive a petition, nor will I be held hostage by the Swapo Party,” he said before turning his back on the gathering and leaving the scene.
Promise
/Goagoses, who received the petition on behalf of the government, acknowledged the community’s pain and said her office has already launched an investigation.
“I’ve already engaged the local and regional leadership on this issue,” she said.
“The petition refers to human rights violations. I agree it could have been handled differently – in a humane manner,” she added.
/Goagoses urged affected residents to register with the municipality if they had not done so already.
“There’s already a list of backyard residents. Put your names there so we can start working on relocating you properly,” she advised.
/Goagoses added that only those truly in need would receive help.
“I have heard allegations that some evictees own homes elsewhere and were collecting rent from this land. That will be verified,” she said.
Council’s role
Walvis Bay rural constituency councillor Florian Donatus said his office has no mandate to allocate or service land, but it assists with coordination between the municipality and residents.
“We are not mandated to deal with rent or land allocation. That falls under the municipality’s jurisdiction. However, I am aware that these residents were profiled and may already be on the municipality’s master list for relocation,” he said.
He stressed the need to prioritise long-term backyard residents who have patiently waited for land for decades.
“There are over 43 000 people in Walvis Bay in need of land. Some have lived in backyard shacks for more than 20 years. These are the people we need to assist first, including those just evicted,” he appealed.
Farm 37
SPYL criticised the slow development of Farm 37, a relocation project meant to ease Walvis Bay’s housing crisis.
“The project started in 2020. If it had progressed properly, many of these families wouldn’t be homeless today,” SPYL stated, calling on the central government to expedite funding.
They also urged local authorities to conduct better public awareness on the legal consequences of occupying unauthorised land.