5 000 kicked to the curb

Elizabeth JosephWindhoekThe Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement has called on the Tsumeb municipality to take action regarding 5 000 residents who were evicted from the Endombo community’s old TCL hostel building at the town earlier this month.AR made the comments during a press conference last week.The residents – from 270 households – were forced to pay rent which increases by 10% annually for a building that is falling apart, the movement said.“The old hostel accommodated approximately 5 000 residents, including women and children. It is now dilapidated, having never been renovated since it was built in the 1960s.“The landlord has been charging the residents a lot of money; the rental fees increasing annually.“Still, the living conditions of the hostel are not conducive and fit for human occupation, placing people’s lives at risk.”FraudulentAR further alleged that owner Christoph Groenewald’s documentation proving ownership of the building is fraudulent, adding that the deeds office knows nothing about his ownership of the property.The ownership of the property has been in question since it was acquired in 2007.“As a matter of fact, he owes the residents more than N$200 million and not the other way around. The building doesn’t fit the requirements for the occupation for which he is charging rent, so he charged rent unlawfully.“Only four ablution facilities are believed to be shared among 5 000 people,” veteran politician and Edombo chairperson Hewat Beukes said.AR added that the 47 plots allocated to these desolate households are too small.“The plots available are less than 200 square feet, just enough to set up a small shack,” the movement’s chairperson in the Oshikoto Region, Oskar Shikongo, said.DeadlineAccording to Tsumeb CEO Victoria Kapenda, among those evicted, only seven had plots allocated to them, adding that there is insufficient land for the rest of the residents.She urged the residents to communicate with Groenewald to reach some sort of agreement.The ball is in their court and they must go to the allocated plots of free will, she said.“Those to whom we have allocated plots – they must go there. If they don’t want to, that’s their choice. It all depends on them,” she had previously said.Groenewald had given the remaining residents until Friday, 23 September, to vacate the premises, but said things have since calmed down at the property.

5 000 kicked to the curb

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-03

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5 000 kicked to the curb

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-03

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