Havana ‘clean-up’ continues

THE City Police are continuing with the demolition of shacks in the Havana Extension 6 informal settlement on the outskirts of the capital, while the City of Windhoek says its actions are justified because people are squatting there illegally.

Niilo Taapopi, Chief Executive Officer of the City of Windhoek, said the group of over 200 households had cleared land there without the municipality’s permission.
‘We understand that there are great numbers of people in need of places to stay, but the area where they have settled has not been demarcated as an area for settlement. There are no water, electricity, or sanitation services there, and if we let them to continue to settle, this same municipality will be accused of not providing adequate services,’ Taapopi said.
He explained that according to City’s town planning regulations, people could not be allowed to settle in areas that could not be serviced.
Taapopi also pointed out that the City Police were instructed to enforce the law after several letters and warnings had been issued to the residents of that area, and that all the shacks built there illegally would be torn down.
He did not give a date when this would be done, however.
When The Namibian visited the site yesterday, another shack had been broken down by City Police officers, and irate residents said they had been told to wait for a decision from the Mayor by January 18 or 19.
‘We had agreed to proceed with negotiations in January. Our concern now is that policemen are just coming and destroying our homes while we are still busy with these negotiations. It is unreasonable!’ said Rudolph Kahuure, one of the members of the committee representing the Havana Extension 6 residents.
‘They have no concern for suffering people. They should respect us the way we respect the municipality.’
He added that during the ongoing negotiations, the residents had agreed not to erect any more shacks.
Taapopi said the city is experiencing a large influx of people from the rural areas, and people have to approach the municipality for permission before setting up house. ‘We are trying to improve our services by seeing how best we can deliver land. But it is one thing to make land available, and another to ensure that it is properly serviced,’ he said.