City blunder leads to pensioner’s eviction

Pensioner Magdalena Kambura says she is left in limbo after City of Windhoek officials this week showed up at her house to evict her family after a feud with a neighbour over the ownership of the piece of land she occupies. City of Windhoek Mayor Muesee Kazapua referred all questions to the public relations office of the municipality, which had not responded by the time of going to print. It all started 19 years ago when Kambura bought Erf 1619 at Goreangab, measuring 200 square metres, for N$6 677.35 from the municipality. Kambura said she lived in peace on her plot, with no arguments with any of her neighbours. According to High Court documents, in 2012 the adjacent Erf 1618, measuring 427 square metres, was bought from the municipality for N$12 009. 14 by Johannes Uri-khob. Kambura, who invited Namibian Sun to her home, explained that she was paying off her property when Uri-khob moved in next door. “He asked me whether I knew that the place where we are staying is not mine but belongs to him. At the time I didn’t take it seriously because I know I bought it and I am paying for it,” a tearful Kambura narrated. “They started to send letters with different people from different companies, who refused to talk to me to tell me what it was all about. They removed the beacon pins separating the erven and instructed me to move away from my place.” In her candle-lit corrugated-iron shelter, Kambura mentioned the names of municipal employees who she claimed tried to convince her to give up her home, including selling it for N$18 000. She claimed that she was told to move her things to an open area next to the erf but she refused because that area is in a storm-water culvert. Despite having a title deed to the property, on July 26, 2013, the High Court ruled in favour of Uri-Khob and ordered Kambura to vacate the property. The court indicated that the erf she knew as 1619 was in fact recorded as Erf 1618. She was evicted with immediate effect by the order. The court found that Kambura was unlawfully occupying the said property because she had no agreement with Uri-Khob to occupy the land. On February 6 this year, City of Windhoek Property Manager Elly Shipiki wrote to a certain A.F. Haufiku about a “complaint about an unclear borderline between Erf 1619”. In that letter he indicated that an internal investigation was launched and the City surveyor measured the property. He said a beacon certificate was signed off by Uri-khob but that no request for beacon relocations for Kambura’s erf could be traced at the Division of Geomatics. According to the letter, “Recent survey revealed that Erf 1619 Goreangab is 200 square metres in extent and that a culvert runs through the property. The owner of Erf 1619 Goreangab is encroaching with 50% onto Erf 1618 Goreangab ….” He said his division would request for the correct beacon points to be pointed out to Kambura, after which the matter would be rectified. Kambura said she went to the municipality to ask about the way forward, but to this day has not received any assistance. Instead, she was told that she would be relocated to another plot. “Every time we go back to them and tell them where we found an erf, I am told that they cannot sell those erven because it is municipal land. And now this week they sent people to throw me out on the streets. Where will I go?” “I am calling on President Geingob as he is the only person and office in this regard who will be able to assist me.” ELVIS MURARANGANDA