Walvis’ Farm 37 a ‘common dream’

The housing potential of Farm 37 on the outskirts of Walvis Bay was being touted as the solution to the coastal town’s affordable land and housing concerns at a municipal meeting yesterday.

Addressing the packed meeting at the Kuisebmond community hall, Walvis Bay mayor Immanuel Wilfried said the local council was fighting hard to obtain the piece of land to build affordable houses for thousands of backyard squatters and landless residents.

“I am aware that you are currently paying more than N$1 000 for shacks, but there, it will be your own property. We want to move our people out of this poverty so that you can have a better life. We will fight for you. Farm 37 must be our common dream. It will be the first township to be declared after 50 years. Let us stick together and support councillors so that the ministries which are involved and Nampab can agree to give us that piece of land,” he stated.

The mayor told the gathering that although the municipality’s application was turned down by the Namibia Planning Advisory Board (Nampab) last year, it would still persist. He assured the meeting that municipal and regional councillors, as well as Erongo governor Cleophas Mutjavikua, spent most of last year trying to find a solution to the local land issue.

Walvis Bay municipality housing manager Jack Manale informed residents that all housing waiting lists would be consolidated into one master list for all those who had put their names on the waiting lists of different housing schemes, such as that of the municipality and the Build Together programme. As soon as houses were built and available, they would be allocated to applicants in accordance with the year in which they applied.

The meeting was also addressed by Nampab board member Samson Nghilumbwa, who said that he had some good news to share, namely that the local council had succeeded in obtaining the environmental clearance for Farm 37. He also briefed the meeting on the reasons why Nampab rejected the Walvis municipality’s application last year.

“The board felt that the citizens of Walvis Bay were not consulted. It is very imperative to hear that you agree that you want to move. There are also some quarry activities that are happening about 3km from that area, where people are crushing stones for road and building construction. Mining activities will be having an impact on the people who will be moved. Another issue was that of wind,” he explained.

Ngilumbwa said he had pleaded with the Nampab board to visit Walvis Bay to see the situation of the squatters, and also to visit Farm 37. The gathering was informed that the first meeting of Nampab for this year will be held at Walvis Bay on 23 February, and the municipality would resubmit its application then.

Residents loudly cheered the local councillors, and appealed to them to keep their promises.

The mostly peaceful meeting had its disruptions, notably when community activist Kenneth Ilonga demanded to be heard during the question and answer session. Ilonga and some supporters demanded for him to be heard, despite others being ahead of him in the queue, and also despite councillors pleading with him to await his turn. However, he chose to walk out with his supporters.

At the end of the meeting, deputy mayor Hilka Erastus informed residents that everybody would be considered in the land allocation process, and that people should stop talking about those who were born at Walvis Bay and those who migrated to the town. “We will look at everybody, whether you were born at Walvis Bay or not. We were all born in Namibia, even if you came here in 2004, or which other year. We are here to promote unity, and not disunity,” she stressed.

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