Mariental: The Mariental Municipality has embarked on a significant initiative to relocate informal settlers to properly designated erven, marking a move towards formalizing years of illegal land occupation. Since July of this year, the municipality has been actively shifting residents, who have resided on municipal land without authorization since 2012, to formally planned areas.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Domingo Matesu, the municipality’s Community Liaison Officer, disclosed that multiple households have been occupying single erven illegally. “People had settled here illegally, sometimes two households on one erf. Now we’re moving them so each family can have an erf according to the layout plan,” Matesu explained. This structured relocation is facilitated by a N. dollar 75 million allocation from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, aimed at supporting infrastructure development and formal housing initiatives in Mariental.
The relocation is initially concentrating on 303 erven in Aimablaagte Extension three, which is expected to accommodate approximately 400 households. The subsequent phase will focus on relocating 600 households to 207 erven in Aimablaagte Extension two. Due to a shortage of available plots in the current extensions, any excess households will be moved to Empelheim Extension five, where additional plots have been identified.
“Each erf is more or less 300 square meters, and the municipality is working to ensure all residents are properly registered through the official process. However, the erven being occupied are not yet serviced with water and electricity,” Matesu noted. He emphasized the need for cooperation from residents during this transition period, as clearing the roads is necessary to facilitate the installation of essential services such as water and electricity.
Discussions between the municipality and the Ministry are ongoing to establish timelines for providing these crucial infrastructures, ensuring that the relocated residents will soon have access to basic amenities, Matesu concluded.