Rudolf Gaiseb
The Ministry of Works and Transport has threatened to evict temporary occupants of government houses, saying they must leave when their time lapses.
Meanwhile, sitting tenants in pool houses are guaranteed purchase under the alienation scheme.
The ministry will continue evicting occupants that stand in the way of its developmental plans.
Minister Veikko Nekundi last week told Parliament the occupants are made privy to the government’s plans upon moving in and will be subject to rescission by a notice to vacate or a permanent accommodation allocation.
Nekundi last week told Parliament that allowing properties earmarked for specific government purposes to be sold to temporary occupants undermines the integrity and fairness of administrative processes.
“Non-civil servants do not qualify to buy government houses as a first point of preference, as the primary purpose of the alienation scheme was designed to cater for sitting tenants in government pool houses, who are permanently allocated and are eligible to be given offers to buy,” he said.
Flats are not for sale either; they are reserved for future use of civil servants, “especially lower-paid staff members,” Nekundi said.
The sentiments come after questions over the administrative legs supporting the eviction of government employees who reside in GRN houses.
Questions
Last year, Landless People’s Movement parliamentarian Eneas Emvula interrogated a Cabinet resolution passed on 11 March 2020, an urgent decision for the implementation of Resolution No. 3rd/03.03.20/004, which allows for civil servants to purchase government houses at a sliding scale discount (15% to 30%) depending on their earnings.
The resolution directed the ministry of works to provide alternative housing offers to eight residents of ERF 6596.
Emvula argued on 25 July 2025, only five of the eight residents of ERF 6596 in Windhoek were at the time allocated plots, and their houses have been constructed, and they now reside in those houses in areas of Suiderhof, Academia and Pioneers Park Extension 1 at a tune of N$7.5 million.
He explained that these five residents with their families were given offers to purchase those houses based on the open market value determined by the Department of Works and in line with the Cabinet Resolution.
But his concerns were that three residents continued to reside at R/ERF 6596 on Lewis Street, Windhoek, an area behind government stores.
“Two are in possession of a temporary allocation letter, while one is in possession of an eight-year-old letter of permanent allocation. None of the three residents have been given offers to buy the houses they are residing in to date,” he added.
Emvula also questioned the validity of the Cabinet resolutions, or if they are only at the behest of an individual member of the Executive.In his response, Nekundi said that two of the three occupants of R/ERF6596 will not be granted offers to buy these houses because they are accommodated on a temporary basis, and they are not sitting tenants in any pool house.
“However, the third tenant, Willem Matthys, who has been a tenant in one of these houses, his case is separate from the two tenants, Mr Andjelinus and Mr Tawana. He will be assisted as per Cabinet directive 3rd /03.03.20/004.”
No case of any other affected tenants was reported in the country except Matthys, whose plot was identified as having underground sewerage, Nekundi said.
And that, the rest of the tenants in the government pool houses, the majority, were given offers, he continued.
Namibia has 610 government pool houses countrywide, while there are another 1157 assigned government houses.