Namibia: We Are Not Going Anywhere - Oshakati Residents

Residents occupying land at Onawa Extension 7 in Oshakati continue to refuse to vacate the area despite a removal deadline set by the Oshakati Town Council. The 112 owners of illegal structures, led by spokesperson Samuel Ashoongo, have stated they will not leave unless the municipality provides alternative land or resettlement.

The town council maintains that the occupants are unlawfully occupying municipal land and has rejected their plea to suspend or cancel the removal notice. The residents submitted a petition to the council on September 17, citing poverty, unemployment, homelessness, and a lack of affordable accommodation as reasons they should not be removed without an alternative arrangement.

However, the council decided to maintain its earlier decision during a special meeting on September 23, issuing a final 14-day removal notice on September 12. Despite the deadline passing, the residents have remained on the land, with Ashoongo stating that none of them has removed their houses. The council has warned that failure to comply could result in civil court proceedings, citing the structures' unlawful erection and occupation without municipal approval.

Ashoongo emphasized that the numbering of structures was for identification and administration only, not land allocation or permission to occupy the land. The mayor of Oshakati, Leonard Hango, maintains that the council cannot allocate the land to residents due to the structures' unauthorized erection. The council has offered assistance through its approved relocation programs, including free plots, discounted water and electricity connections, but cannot allocate the land at Onawa Extension 7 outside its approved procedures.