By Foibe N Paavo
SWAKOPMUND, 14 April – Residents of the DRC informal settlement at Swakopmund say it is always specific and fortunate people that are privileged, because of the huge gap between the kinds of houses built there.
Those who have the money to pay the specific monthly fee required enjoy an exclusive right. Although not everyone in the society has the courage and money … and as a result, many people are forced to stay in shacks (kambashus). They have no electricity and people use cards to buy water.
Since there’s no water in the shacks, one has to walk a distance to get it at the community tap in their street. This requires a card with which they open the tap. The same card is used to pay for water. Every erf has a number. Hence, the process requires one to go to the municipality to open a water card. Once they get the card, they just recharge it at the municipality to give them permission to start using the water. The process can be compared to that of buying electricity. But once the amount deposited finishes, one cannot swipe that card to open the tap for water, unless they recharge it again.
Besides that, there’s a municipal scheme that builds proper houses where the owner has to pay monthly to settle the bill. I interviewed Elmarie Manjara and her group of friends that I found gathered around in the scarce morning sunlight in a street of DRC to get more insight on the matter.
“You have to buy electricity, pay for the house yourself and the water itself. What then if your income is only N$1 800?,” asked Elmarie.
Each street, for example, has only two proper houses and the rest are shacks without electricity. And the municipality does not permit shack owners to have electricity in their kambashus, you need to have a standing house to get it.
According to the residents, it was the municipality’s decision not to allow electricity in their shacks or they could go to jail.
“It’s not fair at the end of the day, because I could still have electricity and stay in my kambashu … even in my shack I can buy my electricity. They do not have to put me under the pressure of unnecessary bills,” Elmarie argued.
“Some of us submitted our applications in 2010 to get houses, but till now, we didn’t even get an erf or something. We’re still on the waiting list.
“I do not understand how the procedures for the built houses work, but I just wish the scheme could work like that of Havana, Windhoek. People who live in shacks there are fortunate enough to have electricity up and running. If that same story can happen here, it would be good,” she added.
As a result of an electricity deficit in the DRC area, crime goes up on a daily basis, especially during the night when the streets are quiet and dark.
Not a day goes by without break ins and as a result people lose their possessions. The lack of light could result in so much more crime and the safety of the residents is at risk because one cannot see what is happening in the dark.
“Not all of us can afford to buy generators to light up our homes and darkness is not our friend either. Community decisions should also consider the less privileged because their survival is the hardest,” they complained.
“When are the unfortunate people getting the houses?,” Elmarie asked. – Namibia Daily News
