Urikhob nutmegged in property deal

Brave Warriors forward Sadney Urikhob is among dozens of people left licking their wounds at the hands of controversial self-styled businessman Simon Kapenda, who allegedly received the footballer’s N$215 000 for a property that was never delivered since 2016.

Urikhob, who plies his trade in Thailand and has seven international goals for Namibia, paid the money through an agent who herself has now turned against the controversial dealer.

Kapenda, clearly not new to controversy when it comes to botched deals and promising mega-investments that never see the light of day, raked in hundreds of thousands from at least 25 buyers, including several public personalities, whom he sold land on the outskirts of Windhoek that apparently does not belong to him.

Now a WhatsApp group has been set up by victims, who are pooling resources and speaking in one voice to confront Kapenda over his failure to return their money.

Serial swindler

Kapenda is never too far from these kinds of claims. When the Otavi Town Council cut ties with Simon Kapenda’s Groot Group (Pty) Ltd in 2013, after the group made a botched ambitious promise to setup a N$3 billion steel mill at the town, many thought it was the end of his business life.

They were wrong.

The same year Kapenda managed to dupe the poverty-stricken community of Tses with the promise of setting up a glass factory to the tune of N$41 billion. This too never materialised.

This time around it was the turn of land-starved individuals who fell for Kapenda’s charm, including prolific goalscorer Urikhob who, at 30, is in the evening of his playing career.

Namibian Sun has in its possession an acknowledgement of debt contract in which Kapenda acknowledges he owes the player.

“Years have passed, I have received no plot, and there is absolutely no communication from these individuals. For years I saved money to one day have a place to call my own. These people robbed me of my hard-earned money and really, I just want it back.” Urikhob said.

Urikhob narrated that he intended to buy a plot on a farm 30 km west of Windhoek from Kapenda, which was to cost roughly N$350 000. He entered into a contract to pay off the plot on a farm in a proposed estate, under a business called ‘Groot Westaville Development’.

The footballer said that he met with well-known TV personality Mara Baumgartner, at the time Kapenda’s agent, at a shopping centre in Khomasdal to sign the contract. Namibian Sun has seen the contract.

Baumgartner acknowledged that she did indeed meet with Urikhob but advised him to only pay N$45 000 and not to put all his eggs in one basket. “I was just trying to advise Urikhob, he is stupid that he didn’t listen to me,” she added.

She further said that she wasn’t the initial agent dealing with Urikhob but that it was in fact a certain Staden Siyoka.

“I just went to deliver the contract to the client as Siyoka was out of town at that time. Siyoka was the CEO of Westaville,” explained Baumgartner.

Despite Baumgartner initially saying that she wasn’t aware of Kapenda’s intentions, she spilled the beans that Urikhob was in fact not the only client that was done in by Kapenda.

“There are so many other people, medical practitioners and engineers as well,” she, however, didn’t divulge these names to Namibian Sun.

“I feel like I have these people’s sadness hanging over me and it needs to stop now. By the time I met these guys, I was concerned that the ‘development’ was taking too long and I asked for caution.”

“Without my knowledge, Urikhob paid off the land that was not even subdivided yet and no one forced him to do it. Blaming me is so uncool. I’m mad as hell with him (Urikhob). Don’t make me a scapegoat when I tried to protect you,” she added.

When contacted, Kapenda insisted that the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted his plans from coming to fruition but that the estate will still be built. “We are just waiting for approval from the City of Windhoek as there were some requirements they needed,” he said.

Asked if he has explained this to Urikhob, Kapenda said he would do better and contact his client.

Kapenda refused to disclose the number of clients he has on his books for the proposed development, saying that its privileged information. He informed Namibian Sun that the land was being sold for N$13 million, in which he offered N$16 million as there was another Angolan businessman interested in buying it.

Furthermore, Kapenda insisted that the land exists, he owns it and that development will start in June. He further said he would look to return Urikhob’s money by May.

He further advised Namibian Sun to contact his lawyer, Boris Issacks of Issacks and Associates. Isaacks said that a trust exists, to which he had transferred N$600 000 towards acquiring the farm. He added that some money was paid to the trust by clients, and other money was paid directly to Westaville Development.

Namibian Sun was informed by Van Shalkwyk that the farm belongs to ‘Sandy Trust’, of which he is a representative. Van Schalkwyk explained that Kapenda paid a non-refundable deposit of N$1 million for the land and couldn’t settle the rest of the money per contract.

“I just had a feeling from the beginning that he wasn’t going to pay the full amount. I ended up terminating the contract. I can’t really comment on his character, but the land does not belong to Kapenda. But I hear that he keeps selling plots to people.

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