The living conditions at the Grootfontein single quarters has drawn wide-ranging criticism.

The dwellings, located in the town’s Omulunga residential area, is described as overcrowded, filthy and stench-ridden.

Amongst those irked by the poor sanitation and hygiene observed at the dwellings is Otjozondjupa governor John ||Khamuseb, who said it is unacceptable that there are still Namibians living in such conditions. The quarters are one of Namibia’s last standing apartheid-era compounds that were initially intended for cheap labour contract workers during the 1950s.

They were constructed by the repugnant South African apartheid regime in the early 50s to accommodate and control the movement of male contract labourers.

Today, the compounds are home to over 400 underprivileged families and for ||Khamuseb, they must be demolished and families given decent standard houses. 

Peeling walls, an excruciating stench of urine, broken taps, crumbling buildings, overflowing toilets, scattered rubbish and hopelessness best describe the situation of squatters at the decaying one-room dwellings.

“The living conditions there are appalling and unhygienic. I don’t know why we should be proud to have our people living in such conditions, a place where diseases can easily break out, a place that does not even have proper sewerage and very dirty. It is unacceptable, that place must go. 

The town council has built new houses for people to move there but I’m told there are some external forces playing politics by telling people not to move to the new houses. We should not play politics with the lives of our people,” vented ||Khamuseb.

The governor warned that him and the regional leadership will put interventions in place to ensure that no one plays politics with a pressing social and economic situation, insisting that the decongestion and eventual demolition of Single Quarters must be allowed to proceed.

He said the 65 new housing units at the town’s Omulunga Extension 8 is an opportunity for the residents to start afresh and with renewed hope for the future. The municipality is currently busy with the construction of over 100 houses.

That process is nearing completion, with each house set to feature an open-plan kitchen, inside toilet and bathroom, as well as a secluded bedroom.

The houses are earmarked for Single Quarters residents, and will be sold to them at affordable prices, while serviced plots will be allocated to those who may not be able to buy the new houses.

Solutions

On the opposing end is Grootfontein Municipality spokesperson Luke Salomo, who maintained that the town’s leadership has not been sitting on the fence with their arms folded.

He said that the new houses are aimed at enhancing the residents’ quality of life and give them a fresh start, adding that land servicing and housing development at the town are continuous processes aimed at addressing accommodation needs in the long term.

“The municipality has continuously demonstrated its readiness to address the issues of Single Quarters’ residents through this housing project. The problem that we have is that some of the residents don’t want to move to the new houses
because they are used to not paying anything at the compounds where they currently are.

 Obviously, at the new houses, they will be expected to pay a small fee towards their water and electricity, but they don’t want that. They are used to riding for free on the municipality’s tab,” said Salomo.

– ohembapu@nepc.com.na