Dolam families refuse to return to homes

FLOOD victims in Katutura’s Dolam location are still refusing to return to their homes, their legal advisers said on Monday.

The City of Windhoek has finished cleaning the 14 homes that were flooded at the beginning of the year, but the owners are adamant that they will only go back if the municipality does something to prevent further flooding. Eveline Naris of the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), which is advising the residents on the matter, told The Namibian that they also want the municipality to provide them with an assessor’s report on the damage to their homes.They also want to know how much the municipality will pay them as compensation.Naris said her clients also want the City to provide them with the final engineer’s report on the cause of the flood.To date, they have only received a preliminary report.”They will not move in until all these things are finalised,” said Naris.The municipality cleared the mud from the 14 houses about 10 days ago and sprayed disinfectants to prevent the spread of diseases.City officials want the people to move back to their homes instead of staying in the dressing rooms of the Sam Nujoma Stadium.Ironically, it is the construction of this stadium that the residents blame for the flooding.At the last monthly City Council meeting, Windhoek Mayor Matheus Shikongo said the City would compensate the Dolam families for their losses, but this did not mean that it was admitting liability for the flood damage.Eveline Naris of the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), which is advising the residents on the matter, told The Namibian that they also want the municipality to provide them with an assessor’s report on the damage to their homes.They also want to know how much the municipality will pay them as compensation.Naris said her clients also want the City to provide them with the final engineer’s report on the cause of the flood.To date, they have only received a preliminary report.”They will not move in until all these things are finalised,” said Naris.The municipality cleared the mud from the 14 houses about 10 days ago and sprayed disinfectants to prevent the spread of diseases.City officials want the people to move back to their homes instead of staying in the dressing rooms of the Sam Nujoma Stadium.Ironically, it is the construction of this stadium that the residents blame for the flooding.At the last monthly City Council meeting, Windhoek Mayor Matheus Shikongo said the City would compensate the Dolam families for their losses, but this did not mean that it was admitting liability for the flood damage.