Herero Mall is an informal business area in the Katutura

Katutura

Katutura is a township of Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia. Katutura was created in 1961 following the forced removal of Windhoek's black population from the Old Location, which afterwards was developed into the suburb Hochland Park. Sam Nujoma Stadium, built in 2005, is located within Katutura...

 suburb of Windhoek

Windhoek

Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...

, the capital of Namibia

Namibia

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...

. It is situated in Clemens Kapuuo

Clemens Kapuuo

Clemens Kapuuo was a Namibian school teacher, shopkeeper and chief of the Herero people of Namibia. Kapuuo was one of the leading opponents of South African rule of his country up until his assassination following the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference in March 1978.-Biography:Clemens Kapuuo was...

 Street and has been established in 2003. The area was initially used by the Paramount chief

Tribal chief

A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...

 of the Herero as a meeting venue. Over the years small businesses started trading there, ranging from shebeen

Shebeen

A shebeen was originally an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages were sold without a licence.The term has spread far from its origins in Ireland, to Scotland, Canada, the United States, England,...

s to car wash businesses. The City of Windhoek wants to revamp this place and turn it into shopping complex, but the local people are opposing this move.

The Herero Mall has been under a lot of controversy, since it is both a security and a health hazard. There are no toilet facilities, and the area is zoned for institutional purposes, but not for business. Technically, all traders who run businesses there are doing so illegally.