Banner Left
Banner Right

Oshifo Housing Issues

Oshifo Housing Issues

I AM very grateful to have this opportunity to air my view for the first time in your newspaper.

It is shocking and disappointing to see that there are still parts of this independent motherland that are suffering from colonisation. The Ruacana residents have been treated unfairly regarding the houses in Oshifo that were evaluated.First of all, when the houses were evaluated the community was not informed.Secondly, when the evaluation was done, the evaluator entered only two houses which had been renovated by the occupants.Thirdly, the community was not informed to comment on the prices that came from the results of the evaluator.The community was only informed after everything was finished and done at the court.The man who was taken to represent the community at the court was not even a resident of Ruacana or Oshifo.He was just a new teacher who was teaching at Ruacana High school and he stayed for no longer than four months.We as the previously disadvantaged group feel that this was purposely planned to cut us out of the whole process.We were only told that the houses are worth N$15 000 (N$10 000 for the house and N$5 000 for the plot).These houses were built in 1974, and since then no renovations have been carried out.Some houses are about to fall down.Most of the houses have toilets that are not functioning, and if you approach the office of the Village Council, you are told to repair it yourself at your own cost.Even if the taps are not working, you repair them on your own cost.We are informed at the office that the houses are the property of the Village Council until the occupants buy them.The other thing is that the houses don’t have full electricity in all the rooms.There is only an electricity box in the kitchen and the occupants have to distribute electricity to the other rooms at their own cost.The problem here is that the community was not consulted at all.We were only informed after everything was done.The PS, Mr Negonga and the Governor of Omusati Mr Kayone were here in connection with this matter.But to our shock the PS said that the time that we had to comment on the price is over.He said that the community failed and it is over, unless we go and appeal individually to the high court and cover the cost ourselves.The councillor told some of us that if we take part in the demonstration about houses we will lose our jobs as we are civil servants.We want the houses to be re-evaluated, since the evaluation process was not followed according to Government policy.The re-evaluation was refused now the wrong party has to suffer.Why? Uaendavi Via e-mailThe Ruacana residents have been treated unfairly regarding the houses in Oshifo that were evaluated.First of all, when the houses were evaluated the community was not informed.Secondly, when the evaluation was done, the evaluator entered only two houses which had been renovated by the occupants.Thirdly, the community was not informed to comment on the prices that came from the results of the evaluator.The community was only informed after everything was finished and done at the court.The man who was taken to represent the community at the court was not even a resident of Ruacana or Oshifo.He was just a new teacher who was teaching at Ruacana High school and he stayed for no longer than four months.We as the previously disadvantaged group feel that this was purposely planned to cut us out of the whole process.We were only told that the houses are worth N$15 000 (N$10 000 for the house and N$5 000 for the plot).These houses were built in 1974, and since then no renovations have been carried out.Some houses are about to fall down.Most of the houses have toilets that are not functioning, and if you approach the office of the Village Council, you are told to repair it yourself at your own cost.Even if the taps are not working, you repair them on your own cost.We are informed at the office that the houses are the property of the Village Council until the occupants buy them.The other thing is that the houses don’t have full electricity in all the rooms.There is only an electricity box in the kitchen and the occupants have to distribute electricity to the other rooms at their own cost.The problem here is that the community was not consulted at all.We were only informed after everything was done.The PS, Mr Negonga and the Governor of Omusati Mr Kayone were here in connection with this matter.But to our shock the PS said that the time that we had to comment on the price is over.He said that the community failed and it is over, unless we go and appeal individually to the high court and cover the cost ourselves.The councillor told some of us that if we take part in the demonstration about houses we will lose our jobs as we are civil servants.We want the houses to be re-evaluated, since the evaluation process was not followed according to Government policy.The re-evaluation was refused now the wrong party has to suffer.Why? Uaendavi Via e-mail

Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!

Latest News