THE Hochfeld evictees were preparing to be relocated to a corridor near resettlement farm Kafau in the Otjinene area.
Omatako constituency councillor Issaskar Kaujeua confirmed the move and said the about 200 squatters would remain at the new location until such time that an application for resettlement is done. He could not say how long the community would have to remain at the new location, but one of the community members, Maria Kandovazu, had earlier said that they had requested through Kaujeua to be resettled and were told that they would have to wait six or seven months. When The Namibian phoned the councillor and community members, the clanging demolition of people’s shacks could be heard in the background as the move got underway. The evictees have received their marching orders in late October and were given a deadline to leave Portion A of Farm Hochfeld 131 by November 11. The evicted community consists largely of ageing and unemployed farmworkers who have been dropped off at the Hochfeld 131 corridor when their services were no longer required. Representatives of the community had made an anxious trek to Windhoek in early November to negotiate with various government offices and the Swapo Party to stave off their eviction from what they believed was government property. But the Roads Contractor Company (RCC) has sold the land to Andre Compion of Lemur Investments No 26 CC. By mid-day yesterday, the evictees were anxious for the release of one of the women in the community, Hilde Mengo, who was arrested by the Police on Tuesday when she allegedly swore at them and the new owners of the land. Mengo and some members of the community were embroiled in a scuffle when the new owners arrived at Hochfeld on Tuesday to effect the eviction. ‘They must release her because we have to move; she needs to move with us,’ said Kandovazu. Councillor Kaujeua said he was still busy negotiating with the Police for the release of Mengo.
