Family faces demolition of N$500 000 Havana house

A Windhoek family’s dream of owning a home they invested N$500 000 in will soon become something of the past after the City of Windhoek said it plans to dismantle the illegal structure.

The family of 15, residing at the Havana informal settlement, is in a dilemma because the piece of land they currently reside and built a permanent structure on was allegedly demarcated last October.

They were allegedly instructed to demolish their half-built home after the municipality locked the structure’s gate two weeks ago, preventing access.

Municipal spokesperson Lydia Amutenya says the demarcation of land does not serve as a permit or approval to construct permanent structures without municipal consent, discouraging the public from constructing illegal structures.

Amutenya says the area was demarcated to organise plots in line with the approved layout and to facilitate the incremental development of the settlement.

She says the demarcation was undertaken to allocate space and ensure that residents are positioned according to the approved layout plan while development progresses in stages.

“At this stage, no lease agreements, title deeds, or ownership rights have been issued for individual plots in this area,” she says.

Havana resident and structure owner Ruben Samuel (46) says he and his family lived at the area for 18 years and believed he could build after the land was demarcated.

“I invested about N$500 000 for the construction,” he says.

“I am calling on the City of Windhoek to review the house for possible regularisation.”

One of his nephews, Johannes Ndjulume (30), says the family, which includes nine school going children, is affected.

“Imagine demolishing the structure in a day, the effort we have put in and worked so hard to earn, we are trying to meet the government halfway, we admit we are wrong but for the sake of humanity, we are appealing to the city to formalise what we call a proper home,” he says.

Affirmative Repositioning Khomas regional chairperson Sem David says the municipality has failed residents by giving them ‘false’ hopes after demarcating their plots.

David is calling on the municipality to consider formalising the structures.

“The city has ‘failed’ the residents by not providing them with lease agreements upon demarcation.

I object to the demolition and request for alternative measures,” he says.

“The family is now locked out and was informed that the city intends to demolish the almost-completed house on the grounds that it is an illegal or unapproved structure.”

David adds that when the municipality demarcated this plot for its occupation, it created an expectation that the family would be allowed to remain there and formalise their tenure.

He says the municipality failed to provide the necessary administrative processes (permits, leases, or deeds of sale) within a reasonable time.

Meanwhile, Amutenya says the structure is deemed unauthorised because it was constructed without the submission and approval of building plans, which is a requirement under the Municipal Building Regulations.

Despite this instruction, construction continued until the city had to intervene by locking the gate.

The municipality also notes that the erf in question was allocated for residential purposes, yet the activities on the site indicate that it is being used to conduct church services.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.