Okakarara “Land Grabbers” Not Shaken By Council Court Threats

By: Uakutura Kambaekua
The dust refuses to settle in Okakarara as some residents and the Town Council wrestle over illegal land occupation.
This is after close to 200 residents allegedly occupied town land at a rapid speedand refuse to vacate.
The portion of land being occupied illegally is situated opposite the Kambazembi Royal Traditional Authority, where members of the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia are also building houses.
Three weeks ago, an organisation calling itself the Okakarara Residents Fighting for Development (ORAFD) allegedly occupied land belonging to the Town Council, a move that has angered the town’s leadership who are now seeking a court interdict to remove the illegal occupants.
The organisation’s Chairperson Siegfried Tjehiua, in a recentl interview withThe Villager, vowed that they will not be shaken by the Council’s legal threats. He also rebutted reference to them as “land grabbers”.
Tjehiua said the ORAFD had approached the Town Council last year through a detailed petition which, among other issues, covered the land and housing backlog which, according to him, dates back more than 30 years.
“ORAFD had started approaching the Town Council in March 2022 with the first petition. The petition dealt with the burning issues of land, water and electricity which are essential basic services,” he said.
Some residents, according to Tjehiua, are still in desperate need of a place to be settled.
However, Okakarara Mayor Asnath Jazukuka said the Town Council took a decision to relocate the alleged land grabbers to a portion of land situated between Okakango informal settlement and Pamwe residential area at the town.
Okakarara was declared a town two years after Namibia’s independence and has been witnessing an exponential growth in its population, with the town management failing to cope with service delivery.
Tjehiua charged that the Council has failed to allocate affordable plots to its less fortunate residents.
“The Okakarara Town Council will not provide any record proving that it cleared and fully serviced the land and allocated itto residents on a reasonable price these past years,”he said.
“We started cleaning and residing on the part of the land in question in August last year and the Council was aware, why waking up only now,”he said.
“The residents did not grab the land. We did not use any force, our cleaning and residing at the plot in question from the beginning were not disturbed in any manner or by any court order. We cannot be referred to as land grabbers until we are so pronounced by a court of law,” he said.
Tjehiua said that the alleged illegal squatters are residents of the town, but the town council dismally failed in its mandate for equitable service delivery.
Mayor Jazukuka said the Town Council used more than N$460,000for planning and demarcation of the land in question.
“That area is for government institutions and the Shack Dwellers Federation. The residents even went further to grab the airstrip side. How will planes land? These people went far over the line,” she said.
Jazukuka said the Council has applied for an eviction order and that a case of illegal occupation of Council land has been opened with the police.
“We are waiting for an eviction order from the High Court through our lawyers. We have opened a case at the police station as well,” she said.
The Mayor further stated that 500 erven with standpipes and bladed roads have been serviced, and are set at a price of N$5,500 each.
Jazukua explained that the Council does not dish out plots for free.
“We generate income through plots selling. Residents have to understand that development comes with money, without money in the Town Council coffers there won’t be anything to do and we need changes for the better living conditions of our residents,” reiterated Jazukuka.
The Mayor rubbished Tjehiua’s claims of favouritism and nepotism in regard to land distribution and service delivery, noting that his remarks are far from the truth.