By: Hertha Ekandjo

Meanwhile, Tsumeb mayor Mathew Hangula says the council has 47 plots available for the Endombo community members who were evicted.

He says the plots were serviced with water, and have no electricity, but that the plots are available for community members who were identified by the town council.

This comes as, on Tuesday, over 40 families were evicted from the Endombo compound in Tsumeb in the Oshikoto region due to outstanding rental payments.

“Those people were told to go to their plots but they did not. So, if some are ready to move to their plots, they should just approach the municipality so that they can get their moving notice and move,” he said.

Hangula noted that the cause of the eviction was that people had defaulted rent payments and that this was not a disaster or a man-made situation.

“The community was informed that if they do not pay the rental fee as they had agreed with the landlord there would be consequences of eviction,” he said.

He stated that the beneficiaries were informed about the plots

He added that there was a cabinet resolution to relocate these people from Endombo to an area that was identified but unfortunately the government could not find money to service that area because of the economic situation.

Tsumeb Landless People’s Movement (LPM) member Uzuvirua Tjikurame, in a letter, addressed to the Oshikoto regional council, noted that over three years, they had observed the continued standoff between the landlord and the tenants of Endombo Complex that has dragged hopelessly.

Tjikurame further stated that they took note of the poor involvement of elected leaders of the town and region in mediating to restore the differences between the landlord and the tenants.

“In a mixed economy stabilisation requires mutual engagements and politicians as supreme leaders should ensure that chaos is averted at all costs all the time,” said Tjikurame.

Moreover, the letter mentioned that as an alternative government, LPM was concerned with the ignorance of the political leadership in the town, for having allowed the situation to breed and elevate to this peak where men, women, and children are stripped of their dignity to decent life and shelter.

Tjikurame added that considering the current economic dilemma and system, where the rent prices were not controlled, they remain committed to standing in solidarity with the landless Namibians who could not afford rent prices.

“The regional council through the office of the constituency councilor should treat this matter with the urgency it deserves. Where possible reconcile the parties involved and review or renew the contracts ASAP,” the letter noted.

she emphasised that should the above fail, the regional council, Tsumeb municipality, and the affected community/tenants should urgently engage to ensure speedy relocation and allocation of empty quarters vacant around Tsumeb at least for five months while resolving the matter permanently.

Tjikurame stated that this will allow uninterrupted academic progress for the children of the affected community members.

“Regional council, municipal council, ministry of gender equality, poverty eradication and child welfare, Dundee Community Trust, Dundee Precious Metals should urgently come together and look into all possibilities that would ensure that marriages, women, and children are not affected, abused and drop out of school respectively because of the prevailing circumstances,” she said.