Sankwasa urges action after fatal Kuisebmund fire

Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa visited Kuisebmond in Walvis Bay late last week following a deadly shack fire that killed two people, including a toddler, and left around 14 others displaced.

The blaze broke out in the early hours of Wednesday, claiming the lives of 20-year-old Beauty Guidao-Oas and her two-year-old niece, Gloria Guibes.

During his visit, Sankwasa questioned how residents came to occupy land earmarked for the Build Together Project, criticizing overcrowding as a major safety risk.

“How did so many people end up on one plot? Since it is Build Together land, the municipality must explain how such overcrowding was allowed,” he said.

The minister underlined that “if only one or two families had been squatting here, the damage may not have been so severe. Overcrowding shows a lack of municipal oversight. We cannot continue like this.”

Sankwasa stressed that the people have suffered enough.

“We cannot allow this suffering to continue. We must rectify the situation and ensure better services. What happened here is painful. [Lives have] been lost. It is painful that those who remain are still living in such devastating conditions. It is heartbreaking.”

Service delivery, not politics

Accompanying him on the visit were municipal councillors, Walvis Bay mayor Johannes Shimbilinga – who had already provided aid to the affected families – and rural constituency councillor Ruben Shikongo.

The minister stressed that it is their responsibility to ensure land is made available to residents.

“But the land we allocate cannot result in overcrowded, unsafe conditions like this. We must enforce regulations.”

He said managers must submit proper reports and take responsibility, and those in charge of land and street management must act to correct unsafe conditions.

The minister warned that political considerations should not override service delivery.

“The same people who are poorly serviced are the ones who complain, and rightly so. We cannot provide water, electricity or sanitation properly in these conditions. Political fears should not prevent corrective action."

He added: "Life happens at ground level, and the local authority is where service delivery must function effectively and fairly – without fear or favour."

Temporary relief

He appealed to residents not to occupy land illegally, saying it makes it difficult for the municipality to provide essential services.

“Where people have been waiting 15 or 20 years without a response from the municipality, we will demand answers,” he said.

"No one should wait that long without clarity. The government's intention in discouraging land grabbing is not to disadvantage you but to ensure that you receive proper, secure tenure. Land grabbing offers only temporary relief.”

He also extended condolences to the families and personally provided groceries and blankets for immediate relief.

“It is not much, but it is from my own pocket to offer immediate relief," he said.

"However, temporary assistance is not the solution. Proper land allocation is the permanent solution. I encourage you not to re-erect structures here under the same overcrowded conditions. Rather, approach the municipality and formally apply for proper allocation of land.”

Residents said they have lived on the land for eight years, with a water meter already installed to provide access to water.