Katima Mulilo
The Katima Mulilo Town Council has threatened to repossess close to 2 000 unimproved plots if the owners of the plots do not approach the council to settle their debts as a matter of urgency, New Era can reveal.
The council has even pasted a list of names of the owners in public places informing them to report themselves to the town council – failure of which their plots will be repossessed by the town council and possibly be reallocated to individuals among the thousands of people who have applied for residential plots.
Most of the plots the council threatened to repossess are in the informal settlements of Choto, Cowboy and Butterfly.
In an interview with New Era last month the CEO of Katima Mulilo Town Council, Charles Nawa, denied that the council had any plans to repossess unimproved plots.
“If you go to Shoprite and buy a bread and you sit with the bread at your house and you don’t eat it, could someone come and ask you why you are not eating your bread?” he had quipped rhetorically.
Nawa had also said instead of repossessing plots council would impose stiff levies on outstanding rates and taxes.
Contacted for comment, Nawa stated that the council will not repossess plots as such but it’s rather a final warning to residents as most of them have been contacted several times, yet they failed to approach the council to settle matters.
“The reason why we put up that list is just to inform people, that is the final result, because we have called them and written letters to them but they don’t respond so what should be the stand of the council – it means those plots will be automatically revoked as said,” he elaborated.
Nawa also explained that some of the plots which might be taken back are still in the name of the town council, while some people have not yet collected their title deeds.
Nawa also explained that most of the plots are unimproved, while some them are improved, while not yet paid for, and some of the owners are not yet staying on the plots but they owe council.
Nawa could not confirm how much residents owe the council in terms of plots. He however stated that in terms of rates and taxes the council is owed about N$45 million with government owing about N$13 million of that amount.