By Noah Jonas
Land has become an essence needs for many inhabitants around Oshakati. For many, land provides an opportunity to build a home, establish a business and create a secure future.
In Oshakati, as in many growing towns across Namibia, the demand for land continues to increase on a daily basis.
However, the growing practice of individuals occupying land without following the established procedures, erecting shacks or other structures, and later demanding formal allocation of the occupied land raises serious concerns about fairness, order and equal treatment.
Land grabbing should not become the shortcut to ownership
It is understandable that people are desperate for land, particularly those who have spent many years waiting for an opportunity to receive a residential or business plot. The desire for a place to call home is legitimate and should be treated with dignity.
However, occupying land without authorization cannot become an alternative to the formal landallocation process has been practiced in numerous location around the town and yet seems tohappen at Onawa extension 7 that is newly established in the town.
When an individual occupies an unallocated piece of land, constructs a shack and subsequently expects the authorities to allocate that particular piece of land to them, it creates a situation where those who follow the rules may feel punished for doing so.
There are residents who have submitted applications through the recognized channels, complied with the requirements and patiently remained on waiting lists for years. Some have reportedly waited for more than ten years without receiving an allocation.
It is therefore deeply frustrating for someone who has followed the proper process to see another person occupy land first and seemingly gain an advantage by doing so.
If this practice becomes normalized, it risks creating the perception that the proper procedure is not the most effective way to obtain land. That would undermine confidence in the land-allocation system.
The consequences go beyond individual plots
Unauthorized occupation is not simply a dispute between one person and a town authority. It can have wider consequences for the development of Oshakati.
Town planning requires land to be properly surveyed, serviced and allocated according to approved plans. Roads, water, electricity, sewerage, drainage, public facilities and other infrastructure must be considered before residential areas are developed.
Unplanned settlements can make the provision of these services more difficult and expensive.
They can also create disputes over who has the right to occupy particular areas and complicate future town development.
Most importantly, allowing occupation to determine who eventually receives land can create an unfair system where people are encouraged to take matters into their own hands. That is not the kind of system a growing town should aspire to build.
The frustration of those who have waited for years
The plight of people who have been waiting for land should not be ignored either.
A person who has been on a waiting list for five, ten or even more years may understandably ask:
Why should someone who recently occupied land be considered before those who have patiently followed the system? This question deserves a serious response.
People should not be forced to choose between respecting the law and securing a piece of land.
A functioning land-allocation system should give residents confidence that following the correct procedure is worthwhile.
If the demand for land is greater than the supply, the solution cannot simply be to allow the most aggressive or quickest occupiers to gain an advantage. Instead, the authorities need to improve the system so that legitimate applicants can receive clear information, fair consideration and reasonable progress.
The message should be clear: the need for land is legitimate, but land grabbing is not the solution.
The Oshakati Town Council also has a responsibility
While residents must respect the law and established procedures, the responsibility cannot rest entirely on the applicants.
The Oshakati Town Council should also recognize the urgency of the land situation and work towards making the allocation process faster, more transparent and easier to understand.
A waiting list that leaves people uncertain for many years creates frustration and can contribute to desperation. Where possible, applicants should be provided with clear information about their position in the process, the requirements they must meet and the expected stages before allocation.
The Council should also consider measures to improve the efficiency of its land administration system, including reviewing lengthy administrative processes, improving communication with applicants and increasing the availability of serviced land where resources and planning allow.
A transparent and efficient system benefits everyone.
Land allocation must be fair to all
There should not be one system for people who follow the rules and another for people who occupy land first.
If land is allocated, the process should be based on clear, lawful and consistently applied criteria.
Applicants who have been waiting for many years deserve to know that their applications are being treated fairly.
At the same time, people who are desperate for housing should not simply be dismissed or treated as criminals without addressing the underlying shortage of affordable land and housing.
The answer lies in combining enforcement with practical solutions.
Unauthorized occupation should not be rewarded, while legitimate applicants should not be left indefinitely without meaningful information or progress.
A call for cooperation
The land issue in Oshakati requires cooperation between residents, community leaders, developers and the Town Council.
Residents must respect the law and avoid occupying land without permission. Community leaders should discourage land grabbing and educate residents about legitimate avenues for obtaining land.
The Town Council, on the other hand, should listen to the frustrations of residents and take practical steps to make land allocation more responsive to the growing demand.
Land is no longer simply a matter of convenience for many Namibians. It is connected to housing, family security, economic opportunity and dignity.
Oshakati is a growing town with a responsibility to plan for its future in an orderly and inclusive manner. Land grabbing cannot be allowed to become a substitute for proper land allocation.
Those who have followed the official process and waited for years deserve fairness. Those who are desperately seeking land deserve a system that responds to their needs. And the Town Council deserves the cooperation of residents as it plans and develops the town.
The way forward is therefore not to reward unauthorized occupation, but to strengthen the legitimate land-allocation system.
Residents should use the correct channels, and the Oshakati Town Council should make those channels faster, clearer and more accessible.
Everyone deserves a fair opportunity to obtain land. The solution is a system that works for all not a system where occupying land first becomes the quickest route to getting it.
*Noah Jonas, is a UNAM alumnus with a Bachelor of Accounting (Honours) and Pursuing a Master degree in Finance, a Revenue Clerk of Court at the Office of the Judiciary, a business professional, and an advocate for career, youth and development. His interests include education-industry linkages, financial management, governance, and youth opportunity and socio economic development.
