Ongwediva — Communities whose homesteads fall within town boundaries and are expected to pave way for new development in town, said they are happy with the compensation policy.

Villagers from Efidilomulunga and Elyambala in Ongwediva have already been paid compensation by the town council. Villagers said their newly acquired fortune will not only allow them to build modern houses within Ongwediva but also assist them with acquiring farming land in remote communal areas where they would keep livestock.

"We were given the whole homestead and another plot adjacent to the homestead. We got paid immediately after the officials completed measuring and assessing our mahangu field and we are happy," said meme Justina Gabriel from Efidilomulunga village.

The Gabriel family consists of 24 people of whom the majority are young people and school-going children. The family has lived in Efidilomulunga since 1987.

Meme Gabriel would not divulge the amount of money received from the town council but maintained that the money and the portion of land left for them by the town council "was not bad at all".

Justina Shikongo who lives with her elderly parents in Elyambala village said although there would be changes, her family was fairly compensated.

"I cannot tell you how much my parents were paid but it is enough for building a modern house and to survive on. Even if we can no longer cultivate and harvest mahangu here, we have another mahangu field that side of Omuthiya and it has always been the main supply of food. We have also moved the few livestock that we had here to Omuthiya," said Shikongo.

Like meme Gabriel, Shikongo's family was also given an extra plot, next to the homestead which she said she is not sure if the family wants to develop or sell.

Gabriel and Shikongo's families are just some of many people who spoke to New Era and showed their appreciation for the new compensation policy. A number of villagers said they were not willing to share their stories in the media but told New Era that they were happy and fairly compensated.

"I don't want people to know that I have been paid, it will attract thieves to my house," said one elderly man.

The family of tatekulu Tomas Iipinge also in Efidilomulunga but outside the town boundaries is however singing a different tune.

Iipinge said he was grateful that his homestead does not fall within the town boundaries as he was not interested in compensation.

Iipinge said he did not know how many people are being compensated but maintained that he and his wife are old and do not need the money.

"I have a big family and I will give each of my children a portion of land in my mahangu field and by the time the town council gets to my house all my children will already have houses of their own," said tatekulu Iipinge.

Iipinge's mahangu field is right at the border of the proclaimed area and stands a huge chance of becoming one of thousands of casualties of development.

Ongwediva Town Council Chief Executive Officer Damian Egumbo last week told New Era that homestead owners that need to pave way for development were not refusing to move but simply needed to be spoken to and made to understand.

"It can take three months or three years to talk to a person, one only needs to be patient," Egumbo said earlier.

New Era also quoted Ondangwa Town Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Martin Elago who said the new government compensation policy was very attractive, thus many people had no reason for refusing to be relocated.