VJason200632019

Introduction

A Shack is a small house, roughly built which are mostly made from corrugated iron, scrap metals, wood and other parks integrated together. Also this can be defined as .

Demolish is an action of destroying something completely.

In most developing countries you will find shacks built on the outskirts of the townships . The built of shacks with the authorization from the municipality are regarded as legal shacks and the one without the municipality permission are regarded as illegal shacks. In the outskirts of Windhoek , we have a lot of shacks that are squarttering around and most of them are illegal. The municipality enforce it rules by demolishing illegal shacks with the bulldozers. The shacks were completely destroyed . They started with Okahandja Park then recently they move to Goreangab dam area.

City of Windhoek should not demolish the illegal shacks

I strongly oppose with the idea of demolishing of shacks. Firstly, our country is a developing country and it have poor infrastructure. Shelter is a basic need to everyone and our government has failed to fulfill its people by providing low income houses and proper infrastructures. The prices for houses and plots in the city are very high and only few can afford, rent is rapidly going up, less fortune people are discriminated. Our country has a high rate of unemployment and the gap between the rich and poor is very wide. It is not fair for low income people to be left homeless if they have an option to build themselves with shacks as an essential basic need. This people are actually doing their best by finding vacant places to build their houses. They constructed their shacks from scratch, and the municipality is finding an easy way to take away this piece of land from our poor people. They are being selfish, they only recognize a piece of land once it has been cleared by our poor people but there are vacant usable piece of land somewhere they can go ahead and clear and build. Secondly, the city is overcrowded and the land is insufficient to accommodate everybody. Demolishing is not a solution and it will not solve any problem rather adding more to the piles of problems we have in the country. On top of that there is no adequate space for people to set up houses says “The Namibian”, dated 14 June 2012, page 2 . In this way the country is promoting poverty and instead of addressing this issue and do something about it, they are doing it without the society’s concern.

I think our leaders are very ignorant when it comes to such issues because they have never experienced poverty and they don’t know how it feels. The people that are affected are the majority that does participate in election and the government totally forgot about them shortly after they gave them an opportunity for the power of ruling. It does not seem right at all, people are not at the same level and they are all part of this country but it seems that only few people that are enjoying the fruits of this country. Goreangab area is scattered form everything and it will not hinder the tourist attraction. “They service land where the rich people are, in Kleine Kuppe and Auasbrick. They ignore us and when we clear our land, they come and chase us away,” another resident complained bitterly. Self-employed will be affected greatly, who operate on these demolished shacks; thus resulting in more school dropouts, as parents will be faced with this financial challenges, as majority regard this as their only source of income.

City of Windhoek should demolish the illegal shacks

On the other hand I support the idea of demolishing shacks. Law enforcement should apply, so the city of Windhoek is really doing great by compliance with the rules. On top of that, if there is no rules and regulation to be followed, there will be shacks everywhere you go around the city which is inappropriate to the town plan. Senior Superintended of the city police and emergency management department, Gerry Shikesho, “said that for the past two weeks residents have to been told to remove their shacks. He said that, according to a council resolution, the land is earned marked for a school. He added that some structured are built in areas where it is difficult to them to render emergency services”. Most shacks are operating as shebeens, where alcohol is being sold. Mostly people that live in these areas are unemployed and they tend to abuse alcohol 24/7, thus highly contributing to the increase of violence where murdering and baby dumping became an everyday thing in our society. This are results of irresponsible acts by the society. At the same time they are uneducated and they turn not to understand the idea behind hygiene; there is smelly and dirty water running around the places and people are answering their nature everywhere. Shacks are the most victim of fire; so many deaths have been reported as results of shack burnt.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I do not agree with the demolishing of shacks, it is really emotional and disrespecting of human dignity; leaving people poorly and homeless in this cold winter. I do not think it is a good idea because we are making a very big mistake by ignoring and disrespecting the first thing on the Maslow's hierarchy of needs ; shelter falls under physiological needs which is applicable in every society. The government should build low income houses to the community who cannot afford houses in the country. The illegal shacks should not be demolished rather being legalized and improved in terms of sanitation and other services. I am in support with the demolishing of shacks only if there is a proper agreement with the community, presented on proper document.

The discussions was focusing on whether City of Windhoek should demolish the illegal shacks or not .