By Patience Nyangove
OVER 33 families living at Farm Wenela number 2029 are on the verge of being homeless following the granting of a High Court order instituted by Government through the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development for their eviction.
Some of the families are said to have been living at the farm for over 10 years.
The eviction of the families comes amid a land crisis the country is currently battling that has left a majority of the ordinary populace struggling to acquire decent housing due to the unreasonably high prices of land.
The crisis has seen residents in areas like Rehoboth, Swakopmund and Windhoek among others threatening to grab land.
Although the writ of ejectment which will render over 100 Namibians homeless was delivered on August 7 2015, it will only be enforced now with speculation rife that last year because of the local authority and regional council elections that took place in November; it had not been a politically ideal time to chuck the families out of the farm.
According to the writ of ejectment at hand, all respondents except for Dina Storbeck who has lodged a court case fighting against her eviction have to be evicted from the farm.
“Whereas the plaintiff obtained an order in the High Court of Namibia-Main Division held at Windhoek on the 09th of July 2015 against the defendants ordering the first to 31st and 33rd to 34th and all other occupants who claim occupation or hold possession of the property through them to ejected from Farm Wenela number 2029, district of Katima Mulilo, Zambezi Region, Republic of Namibia at present occupied by the defendants and all other occupants who claim occupation or hold possession of the premises through him as appears to us of record.
“Now therefore you are directed to eject the said defendants and all persons claiming through him, his goods and possessions from and out of all occupation and possession whatsoever of the said ground and or premises, and to leave the same, to the end of that plaintiff may peaceably enter into and possess the same, and for so doing this shall be your warrant,” the writ of ejectment reads.
Katima Mulilo Urban Constituency Councillor, Bernard Sibalatani, confirmed that although the families will be evicted from the farm at any time the Katima Town Regional Council in conjunction with Governor, Lawrence Sampofu’s office had promised to look for a place to resettle the affected families.
“We had an agreement with the local authority as well that these people will be allocated plots by the Katima Town Council but they have to be placed on the waiting list like other people who want land. It’s true the sheriff can evict them at any time however if they do that without resettling them somewhere else it will be an injustice. The authorities are supposed to offer alternative land,” he said.
While denying that the people’s eviction had been postponed last year due to the local authority and regional council elections that took place in November, Sibalatani accused the affected families of losing the court case due to their doing.
“Because of their disorganisation and arrogance they didn’t attend the court case. They should have sought for legal representation from the civil society. This case was one sided because they never made themselves heard,” he said.
Governor Sampofu refused to comment on the matter saying he was currently on leave before referring Confidente to Regina Ndopu-Lubinda, the Katima Mulilo, Chief Regional Officer, who said she was going to consult her superiors first.
She however had not responded by the time of going to print.