WALVIS BAY – When Cassinga Day was commemorated by Namibians all over the country last week, it was evident the fateful day was one of the most important days that led to national independence. 

However, while others were at home with their families to enjoy the national holiday, a group of about 20 residents living illegally in the middle of Tutaleni, an informal settlement at Walvis Bay, found the day was still wrapped in sadness and pure hopelessness.

The coastal residents had just been ordered to remove makeshift structures and tents from a piece of land they illegally occupied for almost two weeks after being evicted from backyard shacks.

Some cried, some showed frustration, and others worked in painful silence to dismantle their makeshift homes under the watchful eyes of the firemen and police officers who were on site to ensure the removal of all construction materials.

While the destitute residents were busy, a bulldozer arrived on the scene, just in case the area needed further clearance once the group departed.

The group had just been evicted, and sat next to their belongings on an open plot. They are just some of the casualties of the housing shortages that Walvis Bay and the rest of the country currently faces. The latest statistics indicate that this town’s housing backlog stands at around 30 000 units, despite half of the town’s residents either renting or living in backyard shacks.

“I don’t have anywhere else to go,” said an emotional Bertha Josef, who has been living in Walvis Bay for many years. Josef is employed, but said her salary was reduced to a mere N$1 500, making it all but impossible to meet all her needs.

“I was paying N$800 for the shack I was renting. On top of that, I had to buy food and electricity, and also send money home for my family. I simply could not make ends meet, and that’s how I found myself here,” she lamented while continuing to demolish her makeshift room.

Maria Hafeni is an elderly woman, and also part of the group. She said renting has become too expensive, but that her landlord was warned about illegal electricity connections.

“She told us that she will be fined for illegal electric connections to shacks. She then told us to go,” Hafeni narrated her ordeal.

Another squatter said he formed part of the Otweya fire victims, but was denied a house due to irregularities. More than 170 families were left homeless recently when an uncontrolled fire devastated the informal settlement.  

“I have been moving around from place to place while they are looking into the Otweya houses’ issue. Hopefully, I will get my house as I have been suffering since the fire incident”, the citizen said.

The group stated that they do not want to grab land as they know it is wrong, but rhetorically asked “What can we do? We are desperate, and really want a piece of land we can also live on”.

Sabotage and instigation

However, Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes questioned the group’s motive and labelled their actions as sabotage, while accusing them of being instigated by external forces.

“Where are they coming from? Where were they staying, and why do they want to sleep on land that does not belong to them,” he asked. 

Forbes then pointed out that the last land grab happened at a time when the council was registering residents in preparation for Farm 37 occupation.

“It is very disheartening to know that people have been waiting for so long for land and now that this council is fixing it, they are impatient. Something is fishy here, and this boils down to instigation and a lot of disrespect for what we are trying to do for Walvis Bay. We will not tolerate such behaviour nor will we reward such acts,” the mayor charged.

Meanwhile, chairperson of the Walvis Bay council Richard Hoaeb told New Era that land grabbing is a concern throughout the country, and that Namibians need to understand that there are processes and procedures to be followed.

“It (the housing crisis) will not be solved overnight, but local authorities have been working tirelessly to solve the issue. Let us stop grabbing land. We cannot allow them to stay on illegally, as it will not solve anything but will only ignite further chaos,” Hoaeb appealed.

Photo: Landgrabbers

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