Angula backs Katutura residents
Group bemoans ‘discrimination’
The Katutura Residents Committee has accused City of Windhoek officials of "misleading" residents.
Independent presidential candidate Ally Angula yesterday joined hoards of pensioners and Katutura residents as they demonstrated against the City of Windhoek’s ‘discriminatory’ debt-relief programme.
The programme allows pensioners to get a 100% write-off on municipal debt and interest incurred until the end of November 2023, while non-pensioners and business owners can get 50% of their interest written off.
The residents, represented by the Katutura Residents Committee, lamented this discrepancy, adding that the municipality is "misleading" residents who might be financially illiterate.
During the demonstration at the City’s customer care centre in Katutura, Angula emphasised the importance of community members standing together.
"We will keep showing up in large crowds and will not stop until all the recommendations given to the City of Windhoek are implemented," she said.
According to the pensioners, many of them have registered for debt relief and have followed specific instructions, but their water and electricity remain disconnected.
Committee spokesperson Shaun Gariseb said the group vehemently rejects the City's offer of relieving only 50% of interest on non-pensioners accounts. "We reject the 50% interest write-off offer and we gave reasons why we believe it doesn't make a difference,” he said.
"They [City officials] want us to believe that we are the ones who cannot work with money, meanwhile they are misinforming and misrepresenting us. City officials go on expensive trips and yet look at us like we don't know how to work with money," he fumed.
N$524m allocation
On Sunday, the City said the decision to write off debt was solely a council initiative.
"The allocation of N$524 million towards relieving 100% of pensioners' debt capital and interest and 50% interest for non-pensioners and businesses was undertaken not only to provide relief to our residents, but also to adhere to accounting principles and bookkeeping procedures.
“Furthermore, it is important to clarify that the City of Windhoek does not have any operational or service-level agreement with the Katutura Residents Committee. While the committee did approach us regarding debts and proposed solutions on prepaid services, this occurred during a period when the City was finalising the debt-relief programme," the statement read.
The programme allows pensioners to get a 100% write-off on municipal debt and interest incurred until the end of November 2023, while non-pensioners and business owners can get 50% of their interest written off.
The residents, represented by the Katutura Residents Committee, lamented this discrepancy, adding that the municipality is "misleading" residents who might be financially illiterate.
During the demonstration at the City’s customer care centre in Katutura, Angula emphasised the importance of community members standing together.
"We will keep showing up in large crowds and will not stop until all the recommendations given to the City of Windhoek are implemented," she said.
According to the pensioners, many of them have registered for debt relief and have followed specific instructions, but their water and electricity remain disconnected.
Committee spokesperson Shaun Gariseb said the group vehemently rejects the City's offer of relieving only 50% of interest on non-pensioners accounts. "We reject the 50% interest write-off offer and we gave reasons why we believe it doesn't make a difference,” he said.
"They [City officials] want us to believe that we are the ones who cannot work with money, meanwhile they are misinforming and misrepresenting us. City officials go on expensive trips and yet look at us like we don't know how to work with money," he fumed.
N$524m allocation
On Sunday, the City said the decision to write off debt was solely a council initiative.
"The allocation of N$524 million towards relieving 100% of pensioners' debt capital and interest and 50% interest for non-pensioners and businesses was undertaken not only to provide relief to our residents, but also to adhere to accounting principles and bookkeeping procedures.
“Furthermore, it is important to clarify that the City of Windhoek does not have any operational or service-level agreement with the Katutura Residents Committee. While the committee did approach us regarding debts and proposed solutions on prepaid services, this occurred during a period when the City was finalising the debt-relief programme," the statement read.
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