Walvis shack dwellers condemn ‘barbaric’ eviction from private land

About 50 residents of Walvis Bay who were evicted from a privately owned property last week handed over a petition to the Erongo governor on Friday, describing the way the eviction was carried out as "barbaric".In a video shared widely on social media, the assistant deputy sheriff of Walvis Bay was seen dismantling the shacks with bolt cutters on Wednesday.The petition, submitted by the Swapo Party Youth League on behalf of the affected residents, condemned the eviction as inhumane, saying it had “left fellow Namibians exposed to the harsh cold weather in Walvis Bay”.The petition stressed that “among those affected are pregnant women as well as minor children who are still attending school."The residents said they had previously approached the local authority offices and the Walvis Bay Rural constituency councillor to seek assistance.“Instead, they were told his hands are tied, meaning he cannot assist the affected members in any way or form.”The evicted residents claim they have been engaging the municipality for assistance since 2020.Show compassionThe petition acknowledged that the land is privately owned and that the owner has full rights to the property. However, it argued that the landowner should have taken a more compassionate approach.“We think the premises owner should have considered a lighter decision, rather than demolishing people’s homes. That is indeed inhumane," the petition read."Since the matter was reported to the constituency’s political leadership, who are well aware of the eviction notice, it would be good if officials from the regional and local authority councils could educate the community on the consequences of residing on unauthorised property," it added.Governor vows to review incidentThe petition was received by Erongo governor Nathalia /Goagoses, who cautioned that the matter should not be politicised.The governor made the remarks after Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes walked away from the petition handover, saying he “does not answer to Swapo”./Goagoses responded by stating that the petition and its concerns must be studied carefully.“This matter, as you said, raises human rights concerns, involving inhumane and barbaric treatment, as you are mentioning."She acknowledged further that "the way this eviction was executed may even involve legal violations. I need to look into what is being alleged and promise to respond, either through the petitioners or via a press release, to inform the residents and the nation on how the matter will be handled going forward."She added: "Conflicting views have arisen around this situation,” noting that a blame game was underway.“We are not going to politicise issues of human rights, this is a human rights issue. You are going to register yourselves at the municipality. I agree that this matter could have been handled differently, in a more humane manner.”Questions raised/Goagoses also noted that some of the residents allegedly own houses, which they rent out, while continuing to live in informal structures themselves.“How can you go grab private land when you already own a house? There are people who genuinely need housing,” she said.Issue of landBefore the petition handover, Walvis Bay Rural constituency councillor Florian Donatus told the media that there is nothing the regional council can do regarding land matters.“We are not mandated. It is now up to the municipality to see what they can do to help these people."Donatus noted further that "there are people who have been living in backyards for a very long time. A person may have lived in a shack behind a brother’s, mother’s, uncle’s, or even a stranger’s house for 20 years, and they have been patiently waiting for land. So it’s up to the municipality of Walvis Bay."

Walvis shack dwellers condemn ‘barbaric’ eviction from private land

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-02

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Walvis shack dwellers condemn ‘barbaric’ eviction from private land

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-02

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