Governor to address land issue
The Erongo governor as well as the Walvis Bay municipality has granted an audience to protesting landless residents.
A planned march by shack dwellers and landless residents of Kuisebmond in Walvis Bay has been set aside following the intervention of Erongo regional governor Cleophas Mutjavikua.
The governor wrote to community activist Kenneth Ilonga and invited him to a meeting on 30 January that will also be attended by the Walvis Bay municipality leadership.
The residents were due to march to the municipal offices, while they had also threatened to camp there until their demands are met.
“We gathered to appoint a committee and register issues and concerns you want us to table at the upcoming meeting with the governor and municipal officials,” Ilonga told about 100 residents last weekend. “Council opposed our request that Commissioner Andreas Nelumbu grant us permission to march and cited its duty to safeguard public spaces and public property.”
The residents present at the meeting subsequently elected 20 people to accompany Ilonga and another activist Paulus Nicodemus to the meeting with the governor and municipal officials.
Erongo regional council chairperson Hafeni Ndemula, rural constituency councillor John Nangolo and mayor Immanuel Wilfred also received the letters signed by Bella Situde and Mutjavikua's personal assistant.
Ilonga also received a letter from Metcalfe Legal Practitioners on 10 January informing him that they were acting on instructions of the Walvis Bay council, which requested Ilonga to provide the constitution of the group he represents, a list of its members and to explain the capacity in which he and Nicodemus act as well as provide minutes of a meeting that was allegedly held on 8 January this year.
The letter also pointed out that Muronga Haingura, Walvis Bay municipality CEO wants Ilonga to provide proof of defamatory allegations he levelled against the mayor and councillor Paulus Kauhondamwa or any other councillor in letters dated 10 January 2017 and 13 December 2016 addressed to him.
“The CEO specifically undertook to instigate and initiate legal action upon presentation of such proof. To date you have not provided any proof. Your demand for housing and decent shelter has been made and the municipality is attempting to speedily and legally redress the issue which is certainly not new. You proceed with flouting the law at your own peril and inciting law abiding citizens to illegally camp and or trespass on municipal property unless our clients surrender to your nebulous threats to dismiss councillors against who you have not represented factual proof. It appears as if your conduct complies with all the requisite elements of the crime of extortion as well,” the letter from Metcalfe Legal Practitioners reads.
Defiant
Ilonga remained defiant saying he would not tender any apology and that the people would hand over all evidence in their possession to the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The police intervened and stopped an intended march during an organising session at the Kuisebmond Stadium in Walvis Bay two weeks ago. More than 100 persons met and discussed the envisioned march and plans to go camp at the Walvis Bay town hall and council offices in Kuisebmond the following day. The group initially wanted to march from the Community against Crime offices in Kuisebmond to the Walvis Bay town hall and council offices in Kuisebmond where they intended to set up camps.
According to Ilonga and Nicodemus, the community is fed up with councillors, corrupt practices and are tired of renting homes.
The minister of Urban and Rural Development, Sophia Shaningwa, will visit Walvis Bay this coming week to discuss the issue of land.
OTIS FINCK
The governor wrote to community activist Kenneth Ilonga and invited him to a meeting on 30 January that will also be attended by the Walvis Bay municipality leadership.
The residents were due to march to the municipal offices, while they had also threatened to camp there until their demands are met.
“We gathered to appoint a committee and register issues and concerns you want us to table at the upcoming meeting with the governor and municipal officials,” Ilonga told about 100 residents last weekend. “Council opposed our request that Commissioner Andreas Nelumbu grant us permission to march and cited its duty to safeguard public spaces and public property.”
The residents present at the meeting subsequently elected 20 people to accompany Ilonga and another activist Paulus Nicodemus to the meeting with the governor and municipal officials.
Erongo regional council chairperson Hafeni Ndemula, rural constituency councillor John Nangolo and mayor Immanuel Wilfred also received the letters signed by Bella Situde and Mutjavikua's personal assistant.
Ilonga also received a letter from Metcalfe Legal Practitioners on 10 January informing him that they were acting on instructions of the Walvis Bay council, which requested Ilonga to provide the constitution of the group he represents, a list of its members and to explain the capacity in which he and Nicodemus act as well as provide minutes of a meeting that was allegedly held on 8 January this year.
The letter also pointed out that Muronga Haingura, Walvis Bay municipality CEO wants Ilonga to provide proof of defamatory allegations he levelled against the mayor and councillor Paulus Kauhondamwa or any other councillor in letters dated 10 January 2017 and 13 December 2016 addressed to him.
“The CEO specifically undertook to instigate and initiate legal action upon presentation of such proof. To date you have not provided any proof. Your demand for housing and decent shelter has been made and the municipality is attempting to speedily and legally redress the issue which is certainly not new. You proceed with flouting the law at your own peril and inciting law abiding citizens to illegally camp and or trespass on municipal property unless our clients surrender to your nebulous threats to dismiss councillors against who you have not represented factual proof. It appears as if your conduct complies with all the requisite elements of the crime of extortion as well,” the letter from Metcalfe Legal Practitioners reads.
Defiant
Ilonga remained defiant saying he would not tender any apology and that the people would hand over all evidence in their possession to the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The police intervened and stopped an intended march during an organising session at the Kuisebmond Stadium in Walvis Bay two weeks ago. More than 100 persons met and discussed the envisioned march and plans to go camp at the Walvis Bay town hall and council offices in Kuisebmond the following day. The group initially wanted to march from the Community against Crime offices in Kuisebmond to the Walvis Bay town hall and council offices in Kuisebmond where they intended to set up camps.
According to Ilonga and Nicodemus, the community is fed up with councillors, corrupt practices and are tired of renting homes.
The minister of Urban and Rural Development, Sophia Shaningwa, will visit Walvis Bay this coming week to discuss the issue of land.
OTIS FINCK
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