Communal land chaos

Illegal communal land sales have sparked tension between the communal land board, traditional authorities, landowners and service providers such as the Roads Authority (RA), Telecom, NamWater, NamPower and Nored.
Reportedly, lives are being threatened as communal landowners are allegedly continuing to sell large tracts of land in dangerous areas, while service providers say that land allocation in rural areas is a serious concern because houses and other buildings are denying them access their facilities.
These allegations came to light on Friday during a meeting organised by the Oshana Communal Land Board at Opoto near Ongwediva. The meeting was attended by members of the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority, the Namibian police, communal landowners and service providers such as the RA, Telecom, NamWater, NamPower and Nored were also represented.
The meeting turned into a blame game as the land board, Telecom, NamWater, NamPower and Nored place the blame on traditional authorities and the RA for allowing construction at sites where it is illegal while traditional leaders blame landowners who are selling land without consulting them. Landowners say they are only taking the example from their traditional leaders.
The senior headman for Onamutayi district of the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority, Amon Shipanga told the meeting that communal landowners made it difficult for the authority to control and maintain the communal land. He said they are selling land without consent.
“Landowners are selling land wherever, without consulting us. They are selling it at high prices and that makes us powerless to stop them. When landowners are coming to inform us, they have already accepted money. There are some cases pending where landowners have been summoned for the illegal land sales,” Shipanga said.
Some village headmen told the meeting that they have evidence that some buildings were approved by RA road inspectors. RA engineering technician, Silas Temba, said that those allegations warranted a serious investigation. He said the Act stipulates that no permanent or temporary structures are allowed to be erected within 100 m from the main road, and 30 m from the gravel road. He also admitted that they failed to prevent this catastrophe from the start.
“Some of these people were approached, but they told us that they used a lot of money to buy the land, so RA must compensate them first. Some are building close to the road purposely, saying that when RA expands the road, they will be compensated. People, RA will not compensate you, but we will demolish your structures,” Temba said.
Telecom’s northern area manager Junias Kalimbo said they have an agreement with RA to use the area some 27-32 m from the road for their facilities. “Once we see a person about to put our facilities in danger, we approach them. If this does not deter them, we request the RA to act. A good example is at Adolfi where a builder decided to build a double-storey house around our cable. He was ordered to demolish the structure, after failing to comply with early warnings,” Kalimbo said.
NORED, NamPower and NamWater are saying it gives rise to a hazardous state of affairs that may cost lives, as houses are built over main water pipes and under overhead power lines. “Some people build with facilities such as transformers and transmission boxes within their premises and when there is a power failure it is very difficult for us to attend to it. Buildings are not allowed to be erected within a six-metre distance from overhead power lines, but they are not complying,” NORED public relations officer, Herman Ngasia said.
The chairperson of land board Reinhold Iita told the meeting that lodges and big businesses established in communal land are illegal and he ordered RA and the traditional authority to demolish them. “Only the communal land board has the power to give land for lodges and businesses. All of those we see between Ondangwa and Ongwediva are illegal and we will have them demolished,” Iita said.
ILENI NANDJATO