Mass Eviction On the Cards?

Jana-Mari Smith

15 July 2011

SUPPORTERS of the house and shack demolitions in Katutura this week said it is the only way to protect more than 150 people from losing their homes in the next two months.

Tension ran high during the third day of demolitions by the Deputy Sheriff in Hakahana, and Police reinforcements were called in after tempers had flared during the previous night.

Many members of the Huidare build-together organisation continued to support the evictions and demolitions, claiming that the entire community of 167 plots could face eviction in the next two months if the outstanding balance owed to the City of Windhoek is not paid.

They claimed that N$433 000 owed to the City for the entire property is outstanding from 37 non-paying members of the organisation, and the evictions are the only way to begin to reclaim the cash.

They could not say how they would manage to collect close to half a million Namibia dollars in a few months, but insisted that it was time to get money flowing in from the 37 plots where they claim the owners refused to pay.

Debt collector Manfred Isaks, who was called in to help the community sort out its financial trouble in 2007, yesterday said that an agreement reached with the municipality almost four years ago dictated that an outstanding amount topping N$1 million had to be repaid by August 2011.

The agreement stipulated that if the money was not paid back, everyone will be evicted, he said.

“Whether they will do it or not I don’t know. But that is the fear. And the majority have finalised payments and they must then lose their land too. It’s not fair.”

Batseba Kausiona, a paid-up member who supports the evictions, said yesterday: “Our big fear is that we will all lose this land, those who have paid and those who didn’t. The municipality want its money, otherwise we all will lose our homes.”

The Huidare community bought a single property from the City of Windhoek eleven years ago. The property was divided into approximately 150 plots, for which each member agreed to pay N$5 000.

Huidare means “help us” in the Damara-Nama language.

A committee was elected to collect monthly payments from the members and pay the money over to the municipality.

However, from early on, money paid to the committee “went missing”, it was claimed yesterday.

Kausiona said as a result, everyone was forced to chip in and cover the missing money. She said she has paid “three times over” for her piece of land after the money was stolen. According to Kausiona, the culprits could not be brought to book because there was no proof.

She said she agreed to pay double because she had no choice. “I will not find another plot. I do not want to live on the street”.

Isaks yesterday admitted that payments have been made directly to the municipality by those accused of non-payment. However, he said that the “gap is big” between the time these members began paying the municipality directly – allegedly earlier this year – and since their last payments to the organisation’s fund in 2008.

Isaks said the payments only resumed after a meeting in March, where members were instructed “that the municipality does not want direct payments from individual members, because this is a community thing”.

As before, owners whose houses were torn down yesterday vowed to rebuild them as soon as possible.

“I will build it back up. This is my plot,” said Selma Hochobes, whose husband was at work. She was holding their one-year-old son, and her six-year-old son stood by as they watched their home being transformed into a heap of corrugated iron sheets.

“I don’t know where we will sleep tonight. Probably here, outside,” Hochobes said.

AllAfrica – All the Time