Walvis bay: The process of determining the status of land occupied within the Dorob National Park near Walvis Bay could take several months, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has said.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the ministry in a media statement on Wednesday stated that the timeframe will depend on consultations with several stakeholders involved in confirming whether the occupied area falls within the park's proclaimed boundaries. Responding to questions on how long the deproclamation process could take, MEFT spokesperson Vilho Hangula said the matter is complex, but is being handled with urgency.

'It is difficult to give a definite period because the process involves other stakeholders such as the surveyor general from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations. All in all, it should be a matter of months considering the urgency of the situation,' Hangula said. He said the ministry has already made progress by working closely with the Walvis Bay Municipality to speed up the surveying of the area.

The verification process will establish whether the settlers are occupying land within the legally protected boundaries of the Dorob National Park, a key factor in determining the next course of action. On whether the ministry has considered legal action to evict the occupants, Hangula said legal provisions do exist.

'The Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1975 gives the minister legal authority to evict them if it's officially confirmed by the surveyor that they reside in the Dorob Park,' he said. He added that if the land is deproclaimed, the Walvis Bay Municipality would have the authority to act under the Local Authorities Act of 1992 or its by-laws.

'After the deproclaimation, the Walvis Bay Municipality will also have the legal power to evict them under the Local Authority Act of 1992 or their by-laws,' he said. Hangula said the ministry remains concerned about the matter and is engaging all relevant stakeholders to find a lasting solution.

The 'landfill informal settlement' emerged around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased demand for land at the town over the years, and now accommodates about 1,000 residents, in addition to those who rely on the site for their livelihoods.