More than 600 people remain stranded at the Katutura Youth Complex. Living in temporary tents, on dusty ground, and with little sign of a permanent solution.
The residents were moved to the site during the Covid-19 pandemic, when government agencies identified the complex as a temporary shelter.
What was intended to last only a few months has now stretched into years, with no clear relocation plan in sight.
Once a vibrant hub for sport and youth development, the Katutura Youth Complex has now become a symbol of neglect. Families say they are living without proper housing, sanitation facilities, or electricity.
According to Kavetuko Mbinge, the chairperson of the Youth Complex Marginalised Association, conditions at the site have become unbearable.
“People here are living in tents with no toilets, no power, and no security; Children are growing up in a place that was never meant for families to live in. We have been patient, but there’s been no progress. We need to be relocated to a place where we can live with dignity,” the chairperson said.
The chairperson added that residents have been seeking answers from their constituency leadership repeatedly, but have received little feedback. “We have written letters, we have held meetings, but we don’t get clear answers,” they said.
“We are now questioning the commitment of our leaders,” said Mbinge.
Katutura Central Constituency councillor Rodman Katjaimo acknowledged the dire situation, describing it as “inhumane” and “unacceptable”. He said that the current conditions are the result of decisions made during the pandemic, when the site was chosen as a temporary measure.
“Those people were brought there during Covid-19 by my predecessor and other government stakeholders,” Katjaimo explained. “After Covid-19 they were left behind without proper plans for their future. It’s not a place where people should be living,” he added.
Katjaimo said his office, together with the regional governor, is working on a relocation plan but admitted that progress has been slow. “We are still in the process of costing; We want to ensure that wherever these residents are moved, they will have access to water, electricity, and proper ablution facilities. We must not repeat the same mistakes,” he said.
Despite those assurances, residents remain sceptical, saying that similar promises have been made before without results.