Divundu chair blames IPC for village tension

Divundu village council chairperson Christoph Kupembona has hit back at what he described as politically motivated accusations against the local authority.He accused members of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) of allegedly orchestrating a campaign to tarnish the council’s image.His comments follow a petition submitted last week by members of the ‘Concerned Divundu Community’, calling for the removal of the council’s chief executive officer, Moses Maghumbo.The petition, spearheaded by resident Marando Freddy Dikuwa, cited allegations of a lack of public consultation in land allocation, unfair distribution of plots, forced relocation to unserviced land and a malfunctioning oxidation pond posing a health risk to residents. The petition was handed over last Tuesday. It also alleges that the CEO’s office is inaccessible to the public and accuses the council of prioritising outsiders over local residents in plot allocations.But in a telephone interview with Namibian Sun over the weekend, Kupembona dismissed the claims as “false accusations” being pushed by IPC activists seeking political mileage.“These accusations are politically driven. If you look at the people behind this petition, they’re all IPC. They’ve already started campaigning,” he said.Kupembona also came out in defence of Maghumbo.“You don’t just walk into any CEO’s office unannounced. Like any office, he has a schedule. Some of the matters being raised are not even supposed to go to the CEO, there are departmental heads for that,” he said.Allegations denied Addressing concerns around the relocation of residents to unserviced areas, Kupembona insisted this was untrue.“I can confidently say we have not moved anyone to unserviced land. People were relocated around 2009, when Divundu was still a settlement. Since becoming a village council, we haven’t moved anyone."Kupembona added that in areas where relocation is planned, such as Extension 3 , the council has prioritised servicing before any movement can take place."Only when that’s complete will we relocate affected residents, not before,” he said.Responding to claims of uncompensated land losses, Kupembona said compensation had already been paid to affected residents, including, allegedly, the petitioners.Despite the public outcry, Kupembona said the council is acting in the best interest of the community.“Yes, there are issues, like in any town. But we are working. Let’s not allow political agendas to derail development,” he said.

Divundu chair blames IPC for village tension

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Namibian Sun 2026-03-26

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Divundu chair blames IPC for village tension

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Namibian Sun 2026-03-26

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