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.
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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.
The city says the affected households have already been allocated plots in the newly established Havana Extensions Eight and 11.
City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya told The Namibian on Saturday that the city has "initiated" the process of obtaining an eviction court order to facilitate the relocation of the remaining households.
"Once the area has been cleared, the contractor will be able to proceed with the outstanding work required to complete the Havana four-way intersection," she said.
According to the city, vendors are currently operating within the road reserve and can only vacate the area once the household structures have been removed.
Ongos Valley Development spokesperson Abed Erastus, the contractor responsible for the project, told The Namibian yesterday that "work on the upgrading of the Matshitshi intersection remains incomplete due to the reasons articulated by the city".
Fransina Kamati (54) says she is being forced to leave the area where she has lived for 17 years. She says she received a court order last week giving her 10 days to vacate the property.
Kamati says she runs a kindergarten and daycare centre that caters to 51 children, with 20 people living on the premises.
"Some of these children are starting Grade 1 next year. What will happen to all of them?" Kamati asks.
She says she is concerned that the municipality had issued the court order despite services not yet being available at the new site earmarked for them.
In a statement released in February, the city says it had identified land for a community market and taxi rank to serve as an alternative trading area for vendors currently operating within the road reserve.
"This facility forms part of the agreement between the council and the developer for the Ongos Valley Development and is specifically designed to accommodate vendors affected by the road upgrading project," the statement reads.
The statement says vendors will trade along the edge of the site, allowing construction to continue without disruption.
"The land earmarked for the community market is currently occupied by 44 households and a church," the statement says.
The city acknowledges in the statement that the relocation to the new site was delayed due to residents' requests for full municipal services and safe access.
The city says it constructed river-crossing culverts, commenced electrical installations and advertised a tender for the construction of water, sewerage, road and stormwater infrastructure at the relocation site.
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The city further clarifies in the statement that vendors are not being relocated to the Ongos Valley township.
"Vendors will continue trading near the site earmarked for the community market, next to their current location, ensuring continued access to customers and protection of livelihoods," the statement says.
Shipanga Nicanor, a resident who says he has lived at the Havana four-way premises for 16 years, questions what would happen to his seven children who all attend schools at Havana.
"You are telling me that I should vacate in 10 days. How will that work?" he asks.
He says the city must provide all the services they promised.
Fimanekeni Ndemuweda, who has lived in the area for 17 years, says she is concerned that the city wants residents to move "out of the blue" without delivering the services it promised at the new site.
"We are not blocking the road. However, we want the services that we have here to also be there at the new place," she says.
