Steven Klukowski

KEETMANSHOOP - The planned eviction of families from semi-detached houses by the Keetmanshoop municipality was an orchestrated manifestations of cheap politics, says the Swapo Party regional coordinator for //Kharas, Matheus Mumbala.

Mumbala expressed his sentiments at a media briefing over the weekend.
“We are gathered here as Swapo Party members to pledge our support to those families that was targeted by this horrible act (eviction),” lamented the Swapo regional coordinator.

Mumbala said Swapo visited the affected families immediately after being informed about the evictions. “If you evict these families without giving them an alternative, where must they go?” he queried. He suggested these people should be provided with alternatives prior to their eviction. 

Mumbala further reasoned the said evictions was carefully planned and done at a stage where most of the municipality councillors are out of town on official duties. 

”I have consulted the mayor and Swapo councillors who are not aware of any council resolution that could have instructed municipal officials to evict these families,” he emphasized. 

He was adamant if such a resolution was indeed taken, it should be revoked with immediate effect, adding, “there are better ways of political campaigning than evicting poor people.”

Mumbala in addition argued that somebody is trying to jeopardize the administration of affairs at the council and that person should be stopped. “Why only deciding now to evict these poor, innocent people after all these years,” he asked with empathy. 

“It is the pledge of the Swapo Party that the Council of Keetmanshoop municipality must grant these people a fair audience to state their case because there is no one-size-fits-all solutions for scenarios with different merits,” he requested.    

Mumbala then urged all party members in the region to be in solidarity with these affected people and turn up in numbers at these houses should these evictions be executed.
Swapo Party municipal councillor Ernst Jash
 who is also part of the council’s management committee responded that as far as his knowledge is stretched, he was not aware that such a resolution has been taken. “If there was indeed such a resolution taken, of which I am not aware then we (council) will go back to the drawing board and revoke it,” he said. 

The councillor further added he has visited the affected people and it was agreed that they should be provided an audience. “I further concur with the regional coordinator that this eviction was indeed a politically motivated move and we need to find out what happened,” said Jash. 
Jash said he consulted with the acting CEO of the town and it was suggested these evictions should be put on hold until further notice.