Residents claim city wants to auction off their homes

The chairperson of the Katutura Residents Committee, Benestus Kandundu, says poor residents owe the City of Windhoek more than what their homes are worth.

He says residents’ properties are being auctioned off by RedForce Debt Management to recover their debts.

City of Windhoek spokesperson Harold Akwenye, however, says the city does not auction off the property of residents owing it money.

Amid residents’ calls to cancel RedForce’s contract, he says it will be reviewed going forward.

Kandundu says: “We are worried about the city’s silence after we had a meeting for the residents’ debts to be written off.”

To this, Akwenye says: “The council has to deliberate on the issue before pronouncing itself.”

Residents are demanding the universal installation of prepaid water and electricity services.

Kandundu says some people owe the city amounts in the region of N$400 000, which is more than what their properties are worth.

Katutura Residents Committee spokesperson Simon Muhongi says many residents have been without an income since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This matter got worse, and we ended up not being able to afford water and electricity. Now RedForce is here, instructed by the municipality.

“We can’t afford to pay our bills, and we can’t operate our businesses without water and electricity,” he says.

Katutura resident Jacqueline Cloete says they are living without water and electricity, and are planning to protest against this.

“When you go to the City of Windhoek with N$3 000 to pay, they will tell you ‘no, we want the N$30 000 you are owing in full’. How do you expect someone in Katutura to have that amount in full at once?” she asks.

Cloete says many residents are domestic workers who earn around N$1 500 per month, which makes it difficult to settle bills.

“My children are refusing to go to school. It has been two years since my water has been cut off.

“It’s hard to wake up at night to collect firewood and cook outside. It’s Katutura, it’s not safe,” she says.

Dora Lebereki says many elderly people at Katutura are living without water and electricity because of RedForce.

“Some of the oumas are taking medication, but they stay days without water and live in the dark,” he says.

Lebereki says her neighbour, who is sick and unable to work, owes the City of Windhoek N$ 200 000 and lives in the dark.

“The city is just running after their money.

They do not care about the well-being of their residents. They are supposed to write off pensioners’ debts after three years,” she says.
Lebereki claims the municipality is illegally selling people’s houses.

In June, chief executive and RedForce legal adviser Margeret Malambo said the agency is simply doing its job.

“ . . . within the prescribed parameters of relevant policies and laws,” she said.

“We only contact people who owe our clients money, and the only way our clients can adequately service the residents, protesters included, is if all monies owed to them are paid in full and timeously,” she said.