Namibia Housing Enterprise

Martin Endjala The illegal congestion of shacks is blamed for the recent fire disaster that left many families homeless in the Otweya informal settlement in Walvis Bay. On the evening of 4 October, the shack fire which occurred on the premises of the Namibia Housing Enterprise (NHE) destroyed over 70 houses. The aftermath has left about 200 families homeless. Tragically, the fire claimed one life. Festus Immanuel, the spokesperson of the Walvis Bay Backyard Tenants Group (WBTG), said devastating fires in Walvis Bay often occur in illegal structures. “These structures built in the backyards of formal houses or on empty…