Soldiers evicted from Suiderhof military base

MEMBERS of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) were given a final notice to leave the Suiderhof military base, where they have been living in caravans.

The 57 NDF members are mostly single mothers, some of whom have been living in the caravans since 2002. The eviction notice was given on December 13, and they were expected to leave the base by yesterday. ‘We are preparing to leave,’ said one member, requesting anonymity.When asked where they will go, the member said: ‘To the streets; we have nowhere to go. The NDF said we should use our housing subsidies, but those who told us to leave are the ones who live in Government houses.’ The members had consulted the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) who wrote a letter to the NDF to appeal for leniency. Willem Odendaal of the LAC said going to court with an urgent application would not be the best option right now. LAC project lawyer Corinna van Wyk said this is more a moral issue than a legal one. She did say that the NDF members have a legal expectation to remain at the Suiderhof base, or a legal expectation to be given alternative accommodation by the NDF. ‘The NDF has a moral obligation to see to it that these people are not found on the streets,’ said Van Wyk. ‘They must be given more time at least or they should be given an open space for their caravans.’ But the chief of the defence force, Lieutenant General Epaphras Ndaitwah, yesterday said that the caravan dwellers were given notice in August already but they have not been moving. He said the eviction order is because the area where the caravans are parked is earmarked for the construction of an office complex. The construction company, he said, has been on standby this month, saying that there would be financial or legal implications if there are any more delays of the building project. ‘There is nothing sinister; it is a question of group movement, which is normal,’ said Ndaitwah. Ndaitwah also said that the NDF accepts its moral duty to see to the well-being of its members, but the evictees have not approached the Defence Force to ask for assistance. ‘We could have devised means to help if they had come to us earlier, but they have not,’ said Ndaitwah. Van Wyk said many of the caravan dwellers have unsuccessfully applied for government housing since 2005.

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