Police stop planned protest

Police stop planned protestShack dwellers did not follow procedure The mayor of Walvis Bay has described the organisers of an illegal protest as people with ulterior motives pretending to represent landless residents. The police last week stopped a planned march by shack dwellers, backyard tenants and other landless people in Walvis Bay.

About 100 people gathered at the Kuisebmond soccer stadium on Saturday to discuss the planned march and picket at the Walvis Bay town hall and council offices in Kuisebmond the next day.

Mayor Immanuel Wilfred said the organisers were irresponsible persons with ulterior motives pretending to represent landless community members.

“What they plan to do will never result in any solutions. This is the beginning of the year. Council is in recess and councillors will only commence with their duties on 24 January.

“These are individuals who pretend to represent community members and their demands for land. We cannot allow this. They do not have a mandate to speak on behalf of the community and claim to be landless while they own houses.

“Council submitted an application for land to our line ministry and the Namibia Planning Advisory Board (NAMPAB), who told us to be patient and assured us that we would have an opportunity to present our case.

“There are many ministries involved in the provision of land and we are in the process of attending to the issue,” the mayor said.

Wilfred confirmed that the minister of urban and rural development, Sophia Shaningwa, would visit Walvis Bay to discuss the issue of land and that of Farm 37 in particular.

Erongo governor Cleophas Mutjavikua was also planning a meeting with the municipality and regional councillors on 30 January to discuss land provision and affordable housing.

According to the mayor the representative of the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia in Walvis Bay, Naftal Uutoni, was part of a delegation that met with NAMPAB in Windhoek recently.

“He convened a meeting with members and provided them with feedback about our deliberations on Saturday in Kuisebmond. He also advised members not to be misled and warned them not to participate in the activities being planned by certain individuals who claim to represent the community.”

SDFN is a network of housing saving schemes which aims to improve the living conditions of low-income people living in shacks.

The officer for community policing in Erongo, Warrant Officer Ileni Shapumba, said the organisers of the protest action did not follow procedure or notify the authorities of their plans.

“The group never informed us of their intentions to march and did not obtain permission to proceed. There were no traffic escorts available and this could have led to the disruption of services, safety and security.

“Camping at the town hall and council offices in Kuisebmond will become problematic since those who want to go and do so won't have access to running water or sanitation. How do they intend to cook while camping there?”

Shapumba warned that freedoms and fundamental rights were not absolute and should be exercised in compliance with the law and with consideration of the public interest.

“People should be wary of activities that violate law and public order and critically analyse the contents of messages conveyed to them before they get carried away by emotions,” he advised.

Spokespersons for the group Kenneth Iilonga and Paulus Nicodemus said the community was fed up with councillors, corrupt practices and tired of renting accommodation.

“The police prevented us from marching despite the fact that we requested permission from the commissioner on 17 December and traffic officers escort us. We submitted another notice of intent this week.

“People want affordable land on which they themselves will build houses since they cannot afford bank-financed houses,” Ilonga reasoned.

He also produced a copy of a letter the group had written to the president and other office bearers, including Shaningwa and Mutjavikua, in December, requesting land to erect housing units or temporary shelter.

The group claimed that some councillors owned properties located in Uranium Street, Kuisebmond, earmarked for groups such as the Sam Nujoma Landless Project and the Landless Federation. They claimed the plots had been serviced and sold to private developers who were now building flats there. They called for an investigation into this matter.

Wilfred responded that the applicants had followed proper procedures and asked why the group had not filed a formal objection.

“We are accused of being full of nonsense after we voted them into power. They enlisted lawyers because we demanded their removal via a petition we handed over in 2016. We are poor and cannot fight them. They are on a different level and forced us to retract the petition we submitted,” said Ilonga.

“No one is above the law and we are governed by laws. You cannot accuse people without producing proof. They accuse persons of being corrupt. Why don't they involve the Anti-Corruption Commission and the police to investigate their allegations? Individual councillors have the right to take those who tarnish their names to court. These individuals have the very same right and should exercise it,” responded the mayor.



OTIS FINCK