City of Windhoek and Havana residents clash over forced evictions and lack of services
The City of Windhoek has summoned about 50 people who have refused to vacate land earmarked for the Havana community market.
The City of Windhoek has summoned about 50 people who have refused to vacate land earmarked for the Havana community market.
In the summons currently before the High Court, the city is seeking an eviction order to remove about 50 households occupying the land.
To complete the Havana four-way road and intersection, the City needs to relocate vendors and businesses operating within the road reserve. The city has identified an area next to the four-way intersection as the site for the new community market.
However, residents occupying the site earmarked for the new market say they are unhappy with the planned eviction, as the city has not provided the services, including water and electricity, it promised at the new sites allocated to them.
“It is just a mountain that was cleared. There is no electricity, no water, no toilets, zero services,” says Sakaria Nambwele, a resident near the Havana four-way area.
The city says the relocation of the households will allow vendors currently operating on the road at the Havana four-way stop to move into the cleared area, which will become the new community market.
