Windhoek
The Katima Mulilo Town Council has discovered that most of the squatters who have erected illegal traditional huts in the centre of town are mainly foreigners who do not have proper documentation to live legally in Namibia.
Since last week, the council started demolishing illegal huts erected in the centre of town after squatters defied the council’s stern warning to vacate the land they are illegally occupying.
In an interview with the town’s chief executive officer, Charles Nawa, he said the council is in the process to approach the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration to take up the issue of illegal squatters in Katima Mulilo.
“Most of these people are hiding themselves in these illegal structures. We are trying to engage immigration to go there, because most of these people are not even Namibians, they are foreigners. They are Angolans, Zambians and Zimbabweans who are just staying in town without following the right procedures. We even have a committee in place where any person can register in that area as long as they have national documents. But those without documents, they just erect illegal shacks,” he noted.
He said many of them organise themselves and then set up the illegal structures in groups.
He however said Namibians are also culprits, as they too have erected shacks illegally in town.
Most of the illegal huts are in the Diary, Macaravan West and East and Cowboy informal settlement areas.
He said since people were so violent when the town council started demolishing illegal structures, the council decided to approach the court for an eviction order.
“If people were not resisting, why do we have to approach the court? When we follow the Local Authority Act, we are not obliged to come and request someone who just came and erected mud houses in the centre of town. What procedure do you want us to follow? We have asked the people to move. We even spent money to send an advert on NBC radio for a week to inform people to move. They were given a notice to move,” he said.
“We were not demolishing shacks, we were demolishing structures of those who put up gum poles. We didn’t come yet at the stage of demolishing shacks. We know the procedures. We have approached the court to give us an eviction order for those who refuse to move. The exercise was peaceful, whereby some people voluntarily removed their structures, but some refused and they have erected their structures in the middle of the road where we have to pass, that is why we demolished them,” he said.
He said the council gave them a notice last year to vacate the area, but they refused.
Nawa said the huts are disrupting town planning, as people put up structures where roads, sewerage systems and other developmental plans are earmarked.
He said the illegal structures are not compliant with the town scheme.
Nawa urged residents to remain calm and voluntarily remove their illegal structures before the court order is enforced.
Furthermore, he revealed the town council has more than 300 houses waiting to be allocated to new owners.
“So why go and erect those illegal mud houses if government has contributed in terms of accommodation. We are still waiting for NHE (National Housing Enterprise) to come and allocate these 300 houses. So if we allow the situation to continue then where are we going to get people to occupy these houses?” he queried.