Twaloloka fire victims to return home

THE Walvis Bay municipality has allocated 20 plots to Twaloloka fire victims through the Shackdwellers Federation of Namibia’s (SDFN) low-income housing initiative.

The plots are at Twaloloka where residents’ original shacks were before they were destroyed in a blaze near the end of July.

The first 20 beneficiaries of new houses are currently accommodated at the Otweya transitional camp. The municipality’s property manager, Jack Manale, told The Namibian that council resolved on 18 August to utilise the land at Twaloloka.

He said the land was illegally occupied by the Twaloloka fire victims although it was initially reserved for about 10 municipal employees in 2014 as per municipal policy.

“These employees failed to pay for their land as per agreement. The erven do not belong to municipal staff as they were never transferred to their names. Only one erf was transferred,” said Manale.

He said the municipality could still reserve erven for its staff as the need arises.

The land at Twaloloka was handed over to the SDFN yesterday.

More than 30 members of the federation currently live at Otweya.

“This initiative is not exclusively for members of the Shackdwellers Federation, but for all fire victims. While we are waiting for the other erven to be serviced we can already assist some fire victims,” Manale said.

He said the pre-allocation process is still to be completed. Construction of the houses is expected to be completed in a month’s time.

Standard Bank, through its Footprint Socks campaign under the Buy-a-Brick initiative, has pledged to raise funds though the sale of specially designed socks for the construction of houses for Otweya residents.

Some of the funds raised through this initiative will be released soon to speed up the construction process, Manale said.

Standard Bank Namibia spokesperson Magreth Mengo pledged that the bank’s staff would be physically involved in the construction of the houses.

“Standard Bank’s coastal staff will commit to supporting the construction of the 20 houses – be it running with wheelbarrows or mixing cement, we will do this because it can be done,” Mengo said.

The Walvis Bay municipality plans to construct about 200 ultra low-cost houses at Farm 37, and 200 units at the Kuisebmond area for Otweya residents and people living in backyard shacks and garages.

The municipality plans to have the houses completed by the end of October.