Mariental residents protest ‘unfair’ land distribution

Residents of Mariental in the Hardap region took to the streets on Tuesday, marching to the municipality office to raise their grievances over alleged unfair land distribution at Extension five.

Spokesperson for the group of aggrieved residents Immanuel Prins says the committee established to oversee land allocations reportedly allocated multiple erven to one family, raising concerns of corruption and depriving other residents of access to land.

Extension five was created last year due to a shortage of erven in the current extensions, and to move excess households from Aimablaagte to Empelheim Extension five, where additional plots of about 300 square metres were identified.