By Petronella Sibeene
WINDHOEK
Forty families from Ehenye Village in Oshakati East have agreed to relocate within twelve months to allow the Town Council to develop the area. Ehenye lies within the municipal boundaries of Oshakati.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development, Erastus Negonga, said that since 1995 the Council has been engaged in consultations with Ehenye residents to relocate so as to pave the way for development.
The residents initially refused to move, alleging that they were not properly consulted.
According to Negonga: “others said if they were to move to another place, their elderly relatives would die as they had become used and attached to their homesteads.”
During his visit to Ehenye last week, Negonga said the residents agreed to move within a year.
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Measurements of land and properties is yet to be done for the purpose of compensation.
Based on Cabinet directives of 2003, there are three options available for compensation.
Regarding compensation in terms of money and erven, the directives show that two erven, each at least 500 square metres in size, would be transferred to the occupant – one which includes the main building of the homestead and the other bordering the erf which the owner can sell.
Another option would involve one erf of at least 500 square metres in size, which includes the main building of the homestead, plus N$3??????’??