Dispute over land compensation at Okahao

ABED Kalenga, the owner of a traditional homestead and a mahangu field within the boundaries of Okahao town in the Omusati Region, is claiming that the Okahao Town Council did not compensate him fairly for the land.

He says the council informed him in 2008 that the land he and other residents were occupying was town land and they had to vacate it because the Ministry of Education wanted to build a school there.According to Kalenga, the Council told them that they would be compensated according to the old tariffs determined by Cabinet some years ago.He says he and his neighbours were not happy with the compensation and negotiations with the council continued for the whole of 2008 without reaching agreement.In November 2009, the Permanent Secretary of Regional and Local Government, Erastus Negonga, held a meeting with the affected residents at Okahao. At that meeting, Kalenga claims, Negonga told him to accept the compensation offered and vacate the area.According to Kalenga he was also ordered not to cultivate his mahangu field this year because the land would be surveyed and prepared for development.Kalenga says he obeyed that order but will not move away before fair compensation is paid to him.Kalenga wants N$150 000 per hectare for the 12 hectares of land. He also wants to be compensated for the loss of a harvest this year, and for every tree and fence pole on the land. The Chief Executive Officer of the Okahao Town Council, Gisbertus Mukulu, says Kalenga has already been paid about N$90 000 compensation according to the old compensation formula set by Cabinet, but he started making new demands after hearing about Cabinet’s new compensation policy adopted last year.Apart from this amount, Mukulu says, Kalenga was also offered an option to keep his homestead plot and an additional plot of 500 square metres, which he accepted. Mukulu says those people who have already been paid out according to the old formula, will receive the extra compensation provided for in the new policy. A meeting was held at the Town Council offices on Tuesday where the affected residents were informed about the new tariffs, he said.