The Okahandja Municipality plans to transfer ownership of land to residents who already occupy plots. This was said by Otjozondjupa Governor James Uerikua when he addressed residents of Okahandja's informal settlements on land surveying and distribution. Uerikua informed residents that the Ministry of Rural and Development made available more than N$500 000 to service 316 erven at Ekunde No 5. Each informal residential plot is 300 square meters and Uerika says this is in accordance with the minimum erf size policy requirement. He also expressed concern over residents occupying land at in some settlements for more than five years without ownership. "With Shetu No 2 you find people who are there who have occupied land, they stayed there for 10 years, some of them five years, some of them four years, but they don't have ownership. How do you stay on land in your own republic and you don't have ownership of that very land? So we said we are going to introduce a system of giving land rights as far as that Oshetu No 2 is concerned," said Uerikua. One of the residents expressed her frustration to NBC News, saying acquiring land has been a battle for the past three years. Maria Shikolele said, "they took a long time, because we cleaned this area before. Actually before elections. We even dug in our poles but the municipality removed them. We don't know where they took them. Then we went to clean another area that side of the village. Again, we were instructed to vacate. This has been going on for three years now." The Governor said his office and the Okahandja Municipality are working hard to deliver land and accord title deeds, especially to those already occupying plots.