Allexer Namundjembo
Residents from Ondiyala and Onantsi in Ondangwa, together with the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), have called on the Ondangwa Town Council to reverse its decision to subdivide and reallocate residential plots
The petition comes amid concerns that long-standing land rights are being ignored.
Silas Moses, a member of LPM’s political action committee, said some affected plots, including erven 5253, 5254, and 5255 in Ondiyala, have been lawfully occupied since 2000.
“These are not just pieces of land. They are homes where families have lived peacefully since the year 2000. We cannot allow decisions that uproot communities without proper consultation or compensation,” he said.
Moses also questioned the status of plots 493 and 494 in Onantsi, which he claimed are linked to public officials but remain vacant.
“While these plots remain vacant and unused, many people in our community continue to struggle to access land. We are asking the council to be transparent and allocate these plots to those who genuinely need them,” he said.
The petition submitted to the council cites Article 16 of the constitution, which protects property rights, and Article 95, which promotes fair access to land and housing.
It also references the Local Authorities Act of 1992, which outlines transparent governance and community consultation.
Moses warned that the subdivision and reallocation of land could lead to indirect forced evictions, which would violate both the constitution and international guidelines, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and UN-Habitat’s recommendations on secure land tenure.
“For over twenty years these families have lived peacefully on their land. To now disrupt their homes without due process would be unjust and unlawful,” Moses said.
He called for engagement between the council and residents.
“We are not against development. What we want is fairness, transparency, and respect for those who have legally settled here for many years. The town council must engage with the community and ensure our voices are heard and protected.”
Responding to the concerns, Ondangwa Town Council spokesperson Petrina Shitalangaho said the affected land is zoned as a public open space and is not suitable for housing.
“The presence of an earth dam in the area poses serious safety risks, especially to individuals intending to erect informal structures,” she said.
Shitalangaho added that the land is only suitable for gardening or community greening activities, and that residents had been informed of this during several meetings.
“All the illegal land occupiers were informed of this during several meetings we had with them, which led to them writing a letter to us. But the council cannot allow lawlessness to happen, especially in this area, which is not safe for them,” she said.
“Council’s position remains firm; it will not endanger the lives of any persons by permitting occupation or development on land deemed unsafe,” she said.
She confirmed that no structures will be allowed on the site, and illegal occupation will be dealt with under applicable laws and regulations.
Similar land disputes have surfaced in Windhoek and Oshakati.
In Windhoek, informal settlement residents have taken local authorities to court after land reallocations without consultation.
In Oshakati, residents raised concerns about land initially allocated by traditional authorities now being redistributed, raising fears of community instability.
Reports from the Namibia Housing Action Group and the Namibia Land Reform Program indicate that access to land remains a major challenge in Namibia, worsened by limited community involvement in the planning process.
