Okahandja Park residents cry foul over land

We residents of Okahandja Park have been forced to vacate the land where we have been staying for almost 20 years. We fear losing this land. The materials for our houses are too old, and we cannot effort to buy other materials. We have been here for a long time. When the Municipality removed some of the shacks which were built under the power lines, our shacks remained, and we were promised to be allocated the erven on which we now reside. It was a good thing for us, as we hunger for development of our area. In 2005, we were forced to go to Otjomiuse and we were told the land we had occupied was sold to Sunrise group. This group consists of people from different locations e.g. Dorado Park. They came to put their shacks at the place where Municipality removed those which were built under power lines. One doubt if these people cannot be endangered should something happen to the power lines.

We reported this matter to Regional Council but we were told that he does not deal with land issues. We went further to the mayor of Windhoek, but we didn’t get satisfactory answers to our questions. The fact questions remain: What have we done to be treated as slaves in our mother land? If Sunrise group bought this land, where is their proof of payment? Why did the Municipality not allocate them land in Otjomuise or in the river bed where they wanted to ‘throw’ us? Is it possible to choose a piece of land even if it is already occupied by someone? What is special with Sunrise group?

We have contributed money in order to buy this land, and we are not going anywhere. We want quotations so we can buy this land. If this land have got an owner, then it is belongs to those who stayed there long time but not for newcomers. We have been walking distances to fetch water, firewood and to relief ourselves in bushes, yet they want to put us in the riverbed to go and suffer the same fate. For what good reasons? This will happen over our dead bodies. When are we going to test the fruits of our independence?

The politicians for any political party are very passive and invisible when the community have problems, but during elections time, they are visible 24/7. These people must remember that we did not vote for them to sit in their offices, drink tea and enjoy their air conditioned offices as if they are the one who elected themselves into power.

Lastly, we would like to be advised as to how we must go about the struggle of our land otherwise we will lose it. Those whom we have elected ignore us since they never made any effort to come and see the place we are talking about. If the mayor knows this place, it would only be from the map. It is only us struggling to ferry taxis to their offices. The mayor must give answers to our questions urgently. We cannot tolerate favoritism, nepotism motivated by corruption by those we have elected to power.

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