Groot Aub community activist Cecil Titus is requesting autonomy for the settlement, claiming that the City of Windhoek (CoW) has been making false promises.

He accuses CoW of lacking the capacity to improve, facilitate or advance development.

Since the incorporation of Groot Aub into CoW in 2017, Titus states that the municipality has made little to no effort in rolling out programmes to improve the living conditions of the residents.

However, from 2000 to 2005, the Khomas Regional Council made commendable progress with the provision of water, electricity and sewerage networks.

But since 2006, he laments, residents have only received empty promises and still struggle with obtaining title deeds for their properties.

He says the settlement should be governed by the residents, claiming that CoW already find it difficult to provide services to settlements within their proximity.

Titus is requesting that the containers intended to build temporary offices for the municipality be removed immediately, stating that decisions are being made on their behalf without any consultations with community members.

This issue is creating chaos amongst residents, he highlights, as they do not know in what direction their settlement is heading.

Meanwhile, CoW Public Relations Officer Lydia Amutenya denies these statements made by Titus.

She says since the boundaries were extended, the city has made many efforts in bringing development to the settlement, although progress might not be at the pace expected by the settlers.
 
The city will not deviate from carrying out its mandate, Amutenya adds that includes service delivery, urban planning, community welfare and local economic development.