Ongwediva debates fate of dozens of illegal shacks

The Ongwediva Town Council has confirmed the demolition of five of 74 illegally-built structures at Mandume informal settlement that were discovered during a routine inspection.For now, the remaining shacks have been left intact and will be deliberated on as some are occupied. The structures that were destroyed were not inhabited and, according to the council, were demolished without formal permission.Ongwediva Town Council CEO Damian Egumbo told Namibian Sun last week that the decision not to demolish the remaining illegal shacks was not influenced by the upcoming elections.“It has nothing to do with elections. When we see structures, we call in people to establish what the reasons are. Some of the people who moved to Mandume already have places to live, but they came in because they saw others erecting shacks and thought they could get another plot there,” Egumbo said.He said council has identified those who already have homes, and they will ask these individuals to remove their shacks without any demolishing being necessary.Egumbo said those who have nowhere else to go have been relocated to Sky Phase One.No permissionHe said during a routine inspection conducted on 9 and 10 June, council building officers noticed that new structures had been built in the informal settlement. The officers notified the council&#039;s acting corporate communication officer Penda Kashihakumwa as well as Egumbo that the structures had been marked as illegal.“Any structure built and constructed in town without a building plan or consent of the council is marked illegal, and the owner is invited to the office to explain,” Egumbo said.On 11 June, officials, without the alleged consent of the CEO&#039;s office and council, demolished five of the structures, he said.“It must be placed on record that this exercise was not carried out with the consent of the council. In total, five of the structures under construction were removed. And one – the owner came and removed [it] himself,” he said.He urged the owners of the remaining illegal shacks to come forward.“These structures are inhabited, and as a result, they were not touched. The owners were invited to the office for proper recording. No action will be taken against them. And council is in the process of devising ways of formalising them within the areas where they have been constructed,” he stressed.A total of 4 901 people are currently listed on the Ongwediva housing waiting list.Egumbo stated that the council is in the process of preparing land to allocate to its residents, aiming to prevent future illegal occupations.

Ongwediva debates fate of dozens of illegal shacks

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Ongwediva debates fate of dozens of illegal shacks

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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