Breaking News

Balanced Energy Mix Critical for Namibia’s Power Future: Experts

Minister Highlights Energy Integration for Southern Africa’s Prosperity

KUCO Demands Closure of Ishiara Hospital Due to Critical Conditions

Mathieu Boro Welcomed in Toma as Sourou’s New MP

Government to Cover Funeral Costs for Ishiara Protest Victims

Omaruru Homeless People’s Association Members Occupy Land, Accuse Municipality of Inaction and Corruption

OMARURU: Over 100 members of the Omaruru Homeless People's Association gathered near the Welwitschia settlement this past Saturday, asserting that the land they are occupying belongs to them by ancestral right.

According to a new release by Namibia Press Agency, the group's chairperson, Nambee Upendura Domingo, stated that there is sufficient land in Omaruru that could be allocated to them. Domingo criticized the municipality and council for their delay in making land available. “We are not grabbing land; we are occupying what is ancestrally ours,” she emphasized.

Domingo also accused the local authority of corruption, alleging that land has been allocated to outsiders while locals have been ignored. “We have identified enough land and have registered over 800 people from the town. Yet, they still have no land despite having paid the municipality N.dollars 25 for over five years,” said Domingo.

The group’s spokesperson, Lukas Nyumbu, echoed Domingo’s sentiments, noting the lack of transparency from local leadership. “We applied for land in 2016 and have not received any feedback. Omaruru has a high number of unemployed youth, some of whom are now 40 years old and still living in their parents' houses,” Nyumbu stated.

Nyumbu further claimed that there is widespread nepotism within the municipal council and called for its removal. He stated that only those in proximity to the council appear to benefit from land allocation.

The association members maintain that their immediate need is for land, and that services can be provided later. They plan to submit a petition to the council this coming Wednesday.

Attempts to reach Omaruru's Chief Executive Officer, Valentinus Sindongo, and Mayor Vincent Kahua for comment were unsuccessful as calls went unanswered.

Erongo Governor Neville Andre Itope recently intervened in a similar situation in Arandis, expressing dissatisfaction with poor service delivery and lack of communication between local authorities and residents. Itope urged leaders to engage more effectively with the community.