Katima demolitions halted
The demolition of illegal houses in Katima Mulilo has been put on hold following a national outcry.
The government has ordered the Katima Mulilo town council to immediately halt the demolition of illegal structures, which has affected more than 2 000 families.
Hundreds of Katima residents are facing eviction from their homes as the local authority embarked on an operation to demolish all illegal structures.
Urban and rural development minister Sophia Shaningwa yesterday met with the management and town councillors of Katima Mulilo to address the demolitions, which have been likened to similar tactics used during apartheid.
At the weekend, the town council had threatened to continue until all illegal structures were razed.
This has now been put on hold following huge public uproar and pressure from land activists and politicians.
“[The] town council suspends the current operations of demolishing the illegal structures to allow time to respond to the letters received from the lawyers and other organisations. However, the council will not tolerate the continuation of erection of illegal structures within town land,” said Shaningwa.
The minister condemned land grabbing at the town, saying most of the people who were occupying land had already been allocated plots by the town council.
Many residents of the New Cowboy, Dairy and Lwanyanda settlements were affected by the demolitions.
“The leadership is in agreement that the land grabbing should be stopped and prevented. The people need to adhere to the laws of the country, hence anarchy and un-governability is not going to be tolerated,” said Shaningwa.
She also directed the local authority to create reception areas where people migrating to the town can be accommodated until they can afford to buy a plot.
The demolitions have been criticised countrywide and the ombudsman's office has dispatched a team to investigate potential rights abuses.
Human rights law firm Tjombe and Elago has threatened the council with legal action should the demolitions continue.
The council's chief executive officer, Raphael Liswaniso, yesterday rejected claims that the land on which the demolished structures were built belongs to a traditional authority and not to the council.
“You can come into my office and see the boundaries for yourself. Besides, why would we bother ourselves with land that does not concern us? If so then we would be invading the villages where the chiefs are, but we are not,” he stated.
Political parties, including the DTA and APP, also condemned the demolitions in strongly worded statements last week.
“It is truly shocking that this many years after the house demolitions at the Old Location under the apartheid government, today we are faced with a situation in Katima Mulilo which eerily echoes the past,” said DTA leader McHenry Venaani.
He further said his party did not advocate lawlessness and people taking the law into their own hands, but it also did not support laws and policies with no humanitarian aspect.
“What is happening in Katima Mulilo is a shame to the political government in this country,” Venaani said.
On Friday, Swapo secretary-general Nangolo Mbumba said the government, and not the ruling party, should deal with the problem.
JEMIMA BEUKES
Hundreds of Katima residents are facing eviction from their homes as the local authority embarked on an operation to demolish all illegal structures.
Urban and rural development minister Sophia Shaningwa yesterday met with the management and town councillors of Katima Mulilo to address the demolitions, which have been likened to similar tactics used during apartheid.
At the weekend, the town council had threatened to continue until all illegal structures were razed.
This has now been put on hold following huge public uproar and pressure from land activists and politicians.
“[The] town council suspends the current operations of demolishing the illegal structures to allow time to respond to the letters received from the lawyers and other organisations. However, the council will not tolerate the continuation of erection of illegal structures within town land,” said Shaningwa.
The minister condemned land grabbing at the town, saying most of the people who were occupying land had already been allocated plots by the town council.
Many residents of the New Cowboy, Dairy and Lwanyanda settlements were affected by the demolitions.
“The leadership is in agreement that the land grabbing should be stopped and prevented. The people need to adhere to the laws of the country, hence anarchy and un-governability is not going to be tolerated,” said Shaningwa.
She also directed the local authority to create reception areas where people migrating to the town can be accommodated until they can afford to buy a plot.
The demolitions have been criticised countrywide and the ombudsman's office has dispatched a team to investigate potential rights abuses.
Human rights law firm Tjombe and Elago has threatened the council with legal action should the demolitions continue.
The council's chief executive officer, Raphael Liswaniso, yesterday rejected claims that the land on which the demolished structures were built belongs to a traditional authority and not to the council.
“You can come into my office and see the boundaries for yourself. Besides, why would we bother ourselves with land that does not concern us? If so then we would be invading the villages where the chiefs are, but we are not,” he stated.
Political parties, including the DTA and APP, also condemned the demolitions in strongly worded statements last week.
“It is truly shocking that this many years after the house demolitions at the Old Location under the apartheid government, today we are faced with a situation in Katima Mulilo which eerily echoes the past,” said DTA leader McHenry Venaani.
He further said his party did not advocate lawlessness and people taking the law into their own hands, but it also did not support laws and policies with no humanitarian aspect.
“What is happening in Katima Mulilo is a shame to the political government in this country,” Venaani said.
On Friday, Swapo secretary-general Nangolo Mbumba said the government, and not the ruling party, should deal with the problem.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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