Concerned Residents Omaruru

18 October 2016

The Municipality of Omaruru

Omaruru

To whom it may concern

OBJECTION TO THE SALE OR LEASE OF NOTICE NO 09/2016

We as residents and interested parties of the Omaruru Municipality object to the allocation of 70+ erven ranging between 400 to 700 m2 to a Single Close Corporation named purchaser NDAKALIMWE INVESTMENTS CC as published in The Namibian newspaper page 16 of 14th October 2016 as according to empowering act here below.

Local Authorities Act No. 23, 1992

Section 63 (2) (b) in the case of the sale, disposal, letting, hypothecation or encumbrance of such immovable property by way of a private transaction, calling upon interested persons to lodge any objections to such sale, disposal, letting, hypothecation or encumbrance with the local authority council in writing within a period of not less than seven days after the last date of the publication of such notice.

We as residents will be pleased if the Minister and relevant stakeholders will first discuss relevancy with the interested parties as there are many individuals/locals without land to call home.

The allocation of Municipal land of over 70+ erven In Omaruru Town/Ozondje Township to Ndakalimwe Investments Cc is unreasonable Based On Following Reasons:

1. It will create dependency syndrome (leaving residents no option but to remain in rented shelters own by private individuals and entities such Ndakalimwe Investments CC, by accumulating private loans with interest to obtain funds to buy/pay rent for housing from this individual/entities).
2. It will be unfair to those (locals, other business owners) who are awaiting disapproval/approval for erf application and still in the process of applying for an erf.
3. This allocation of land of over 70+ erven to one single entity will be contrary to the purport, values and spirit of the Namibian Constitution, specially Article 10, Article 16 and Article 18 respectively. This rights may not be denied.
4. Thus will further increase already existing housing backlog in Namibia in whole: Provision of affordable housing is one of the key challenges facing policy-makers in Namibia. By 2007, the country faced a backlog of 80,000 households in dire need of housing. There are reasons to believe that this figure has increased since then, as manifested in the growing number of informal settlements on the outskirts of most towns in the country. The main factor contributing to the housing shortage is the shortfall in housing supply which failed to keep up with growing demand over the years. The housing shortfall is further amplified by the prevailing high unemployment rate, rising house prices and growing urbanisation in the country and mostly selling land to private developers who escalate property prices amongst others..
5. Is not aligned with the HARAMBEE PROSPERITY PLAN 2016/17 - 2019/20 of Republic of Namibia (Namibian Government's Action Plan towards Prosperity for All) and therefore is an exclusive ( contrary and opposing “nobody must be left out”) measure to be taken, Quoting the HPP:

What is required is an understanding that it is no longer “business as usual.” We are not only required to act with more urgency to reform processes, we are also required to reform our minds and attitudes and pull in the same direction. A new culture of efficiency and accountability is critical to foster the change we wish to see.

Some of the key outcomes we would like to see pending successful implementation of this Plan include:

• A more transparent Namibia;

• A culture of high performance and citizen-centered service delivery;

• A significant reduction in poverty levels;

• A reputable and competitive vocational educational

training system;

• A spirit of entrepreneurship resulting in increased

youth enterprise development;

• Improved access to serviced land and housing;

• Guaranteed energy supply and sufficient water for human consumption and business activities.

(Emphasizing bold and underlined points)

Namibians have overcome tremendous historical obstacles in the past and through the HPP, I am confident that we will rise to the challenges of the present and those we may encounter in the future.

Quote by a resident:

“Giving such portion of land to developers whiles there are already applicants is a sign of creating dependency and poverty. First develop and put the erven up for the residence and see the rate of interest before selling it to one person/company. Property development only creates temporary employment and it is the biggest source of exporting income as developers sit in other towns and only receive funds.”

“Unhappy about the fact that so much erven are sold to one person, while there are a lot of sons and daughters of the soil struggling to get some. “

By this letter we humbly request the said objection and kindly ask if the said CC and the Municipality may come forth and explain reasons why they should be given so many erven despite the fact that there are so many locals and businesses who applied for (same) land/erven (few has been denied, many has been told to wait).

Possible solution to this objection is:

• Reduction in 70+ erven allocated to one single entity named above.
• Allocation of land/erven to already awaiting erven applicants both commercial(local business people) and individuals(family heads).
• That the Municipality consults/ and comply with LOCAL AUTHORITIES ACT, Act No. 23, 1992 specifically Section 63 (3) (b) (c) Stating as follows:

…If any objection is lodged in terms of the said paragraph (b), the immovable property in question shall not be sold, disposed of, let, hypothecated or otherwise encumbered, unless - (i) the local authority council has submitted to the Minister such particulars as the Minister may require in relation to the proposed transaction, together with the objections lodged and the comments of the local authority council thereon; and (ii) the local authority council has obtained the approval of the Minister to so sell, dispose of, let, hypothecate or otherwise encumber such immovable property. (c) The Minister may grant or refuse to grant his or her approval contemplated in paragraph (b)(ii) or may direct the immovable property in question to be sold, disposed of, let, hypothecated or otherwise encumbered by way of public auction or tender.

The availability of land for development is vital for a sound and equal urban development process. Making this land ready for development and accessible for all is another challenge that governments and municipalities often fail to realise. The reasons include: Cumbersome institutional and regulatory systems make land delivery costly and time consuming; monopolies in land ownership constrain supply, affects prices and urban growth patterns; lack of land management instruments and inadequate land and housing policies leave poor households entirely prey to market players, so they end up living in precarious areas; and lack of transparency in the market and land use restrictions elevate prices to exorbitant levels. The result is that people revert to informal markets often triggering rapid rates of slum formation and informal land and housing processes. Cities are confronted with social and spatial fragmentation, social exclusion and clear physical manifestations of an unequal access to land, infrastructure and basic urban services.

Omaruru is still a young town and we can avoid mistakes made by other cities and towns within Namibia with highly escalating property prices and slums on the outskirt of the towns/cities as a result of unaffordability housing/land, and slums are usually breeding grounds of crimes such a drugs trade and many other social evils, but we can avoid that in Omaruru and make it a model town with regards housing and land allocation, looking to the bigger picture, a safe haven with regards housing and crime.

I Neruth Xaweb and co-signatures hereby submit our objection (in form of online petition signed electronically attached in print) on https://www.ipetitions.com/ and printed on 18 October 2016.

Yours

_______________

Neruth Xaweb

Coordinator at iPETIONS

Mobile +264 81 3332455/ e-mail : neruthxaweb@gmail.com/ P.O. Box 124, Arandis.