Clinic turned into scrapyard
A businessman who illegally ran a car repair shop and scrapyard from a government clinic for more than two years said he was merely trying to make an honest living.
A mechanic who has been running a repair shop and scrapyard from the Khomasdal clinic for two years has finally been evicted by the authorities. Health officials yesterday descended on the clinic after minister Bernhard Haufiku witnessed first-hand the shenanigans at the facility, which has apparently been going on for two years.
Haufiku had ordered that the yard be cleared by 08:00 yesterday morning.
However, when ministry officials arrived they were told that the mechanic, identified only as Frank, needed more time to remove the cars.
A fuming Haufiku would have none of that and asked tow-in services to move in immediately to clear the yard.
Haufiku threatened to take disciplinary action against lax regional officials who had allowed the facility to be turned into a scrapyard. He said he was alerted to the scrapyard by a student nurse two weeks ago. He eventually went to see for himself one afternoon after close of business.
“We have not been informed about these clandestine activities in the backyard of the clinic. I have been to this clinic before, to the front of it and not to the back. In fact I did not even know that this was part of the clinic,” he said.
“But the case has apparently been hanging for two, three years and was not brought to our attention. I think there is laxity in terms of the person responsible for the directorate and the person responsible for the clinic.”
Haufiku, who had called in the police to ensure that the scrapyard was indeed cleared, said he was willing to meet the business owner in court.
He then ordered the health permanent secretary, Petronella Masabane, to call in the breakdown trucks to remove the vehicles.
“The owner was given an hour to remove the vehicles. He did not refuse but needed more time”.
We were not prepared to grant his request and hence got the tow trucks,” she said.
Khomas health director Elizabeth Muremi said the matter was reported to the ministry's legal department after negotiations with the scrapyard owner had failed.
“This had been happening before I came here. I found it here. When we saw someone illegally occupying our place I contacted our legal department who is processing it to the prosecutor's office. We also talked to the owner and he refused,” she said.
Meanwhile, the businessman in charge of the scrapyard said he was merely “trying to make an honest living”.
According to Frank, he was allowed by a relative, whose name he refused to give, to run his business from the clinic's yard free of charge.
“We do not have a place to go. I really do not know where to go. The point is my brother was here first. I am not paying rent; I am just trying to make an honest living. I am a poor person,” he said.
Asked whether he had applied for land from the municipality, Frank said he had written numerous letters to ask for relief from the City of Windhoek but to no avail.
JEMIMA BEUKES
Haufiku had ordered that the yard be cleared by 08:00 yesterday morning.
However, when ministry officials arrived they were told that the mechanic, identified only as Frank, needed more time to remove the cars.
A fuming Haufiku would have none of that and asked tow-in services to move in immediately to clear the yard.
Haufiku threatened to take disciplinary action against lax regional officials who had allowed the facility to be turned into a scrapyard. He said he was alerted to the scrapyard by a student nurse two weeks ago. He eventually went to see for himself one afternoon after close of business.
“We have not been informed about these clandestine activities in the backyard of the clinic. I have been to this clinic before, to the front of it and not to the back. In fact I did not even know that this was part of the clinic,” he said.
“But the case has apparently been hanging for two, three years and was not brought to our attention. I think there is laxity in terms of the person responsible for the directorate and the person responsible for the clinic.”
Haufiku, who had called in the police to ensure that the scrapyard was indeed cleared, said he was willing to meet the business owner in court.
He then ordered the health permanent secretary, Petronella Masabane, to call in the breakdown trucks to remove the vehicles.
“The owner was given an hour to remove the vehicles. He did not refuse but needed more time”.
We were not prepared to grant his request and hence got the tow trucks,” she said.
Khomas health director Elizabeth Muremi said the matter was reported to the ministry's legal department after negotiations with the scrapyard owner had failed.
“This had been happening before I came here. I found it here. When we saw someone illegally occupying our place I contacted our legal department who is processing it to the prosecutor's office. We also talked to the owner and he refused,” she said.
Meanwhile, the businessman in charge of the scrapyard said he was merely “trying to make an honest living”.
According to Frank, he was allowed by a relative, whose name he refused to give, to run his business from the clinic's yard free of charge.
“We do not have a place to go. I really do not know where to go. The point is my brother was here first. I am not paying rent; I am just trying to make an honest living. I am a poor person,” he said.
Asked whether he had applied for land from the municipality, Frank said he had written numerous letters to ask for relief from the City of Windhoek but to no avail.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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