WALVIS BAY-Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia reassured the residents of Otweya on Tuesday that the government is taking definitive steps to meet their immediate needs in the aftermath of last week’s devastating fire. During her address to those affected in Walvis Bay:ice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia reassured the residents of Otweya on Tuesday that the government is taking definitive steps to meet their immediate needs in the aftermath of last week’s devastating fire. During her address to those affected in Walvis Bay, Nandi-Ndaitwah highlighted the critical situation and called for a detailed investigation into the persistent occurrence of shack fires in the area.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the Vice President expressed deep concern over the recurring disasters at the harbor town and underscored the necessity of a collaborative effort to understand and mitigate the root causes of these fires. Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized the role of both community introspection and police i
nvestigations in identifying why fires continue to plague the informal settlements.
Moreover, she urged the community to remain calm and patient while the government organizes resources to provide essential aid such as food and shelter. Nandi-Ndaitwah also acknowledged and thanked the various individuals and organizations that have contributed to relief efforts, including those who donated temporary shelters.
Local residents, however, voiced their frustrations about the perceived slow governmental response to recurring crises. Petrus Uri-Khob, a resident of Otweya, criticized the lack of urgency in addressing fundamental needs like land and decent housing, despite Namibia’s long-standing independence. ‘It is disheartening to see that after 34 years of independence, we still have to fight for the most basic needs such as land and decent housing. This situation (fires) occurs every year but somehow the municipality and our government do not seem to have any urgency in addressing it,’ Uri-Khob told Nampa.
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stina Matheus, another fire victim, shared her despair after losing everything in the fire, including vital national documents. She expressed hope that the government would consider providing land for fire victims to build sustainable housing. ‘We cannot afford to rent from people as accommodation is expensive. We, however, also do not wish to keep staying at this place illegally, but what choice do we have if there is no solution for us from our leaders?’ Matheus remarked.
The recent fire destroyed close to 200 structures, reportedly built on land owned by the National Housing Enterprise (NHE), and tragically resulted in the death of one individual.