MORE than 300 landless people at Walvis Bay have signed a petition demanding decent housing.
Most of the petitioners live in backyard shacks and garages at Kuisebmond and Naraville at the harbour town.
Walvis Bay Urban constituency councillor Knowledge Ipinge received the petition on behalf of the Erongo governor yesterday.
Iyaloo Shaduka, leading the group, blamed the spread of Covid-19 at the coastal town on overcrowded backyard shacks and garages.
“Article 16 provides for all persons to acquire, own and dispose of all forms of property. Be it land. How can you be a proud leader by identifying and developing land for the dead while you can’t get land for the living?” Shaduka asked.
The petitioners accused national leaders of neglecting the residents of Walvis Bay during the state of emergency.
They have given the governor until next Friday to respond to their demands.
Danatango Garises, a hairdresser who was part of the group, has until today to vacate the one-bedroom flat where she lives with her two children.
Garises said she defaulted on her rent for the second month and her landlord is fed up with her excuses.
“I do eyelashes, and in the past I could make enough money to pay my rent, but the coronavirus has changed everything. No one wants to come any more, because doing eyelashes requires contact. I need to vacate the flat if I don’t come up with the money by tomorrow (today),” she said.
Ivey Philander, another petitioner, was asked to vacate the garage she rents with her partner at Naraville.
She said she is living there illegally because the garage’s landlord is not in town. She was asked to vacate the garage last week.
“I don’t know what would happen if he gets a travel permit and comes to Walvis Bay. Why can’t the government just give us land so we can erect our kambashus (shacks)?” she asked.
The petitioners demanded that national leaders visit Walvis bay to acquaint themselves with the situation.
“We demand the following government officials to come and attend to our situation as soon as possible: minister of health Dr Kalumbi Shangula, minister of finance Iipumbu Shiimi, minister of urban and rural development Erastus Uutoni, and minister of education Anna Nghipondoka. If they do not come, they should resign from the government,” Shaduka said.
The petitioners requested the Ministry of Finance to give every resident of Walvis Bay an amount of N$ 5 250 from the N$ 8,1 billion stimulus and relief package funds.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
