PDM to build northern headquarters in Oshakati
The official opposition party is negotiating with the Oshakati town council to secure a plot for its operational headquarters for the northern regions.
For more than four years now the PDM has been renting conference venues or held meetings under trees for lack of its own offices.
The office in Oshakati that the party used in the past did not belong to them and they had to vacate it when the new building of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration was built there.
In January 2016, PDM president McHenry Venaani told journalists in Windhoek that the party wanted to establish a strong presence in the north, which is a Swapo stronghold.
Venaani was quoted as saying that the PDM's headquarters would be moved to the Oshana Region within three months, but that never happened.
This office was to be in Ongwediva.
But after the party had rented a house in that town and wanted to convert it into offices, the move was apparently blocked by the Ongwediva town council.
According to PDM deputy secretary-general Linus Tobias they had already prepared the house and were ready to move in when the council intervened, saying the area was not zoned for office use.
Tobias said they then applied to several other town councils for a piece of land where they could build their headquarters and Oshakati responded positively.
“Currently the deal is not finalised as we are still negotiating with the council about the land and thereafter we will construct our own office,” Tobias said.
Yesterday PDM secretary-general Manuel Ngaringombe said the importance of having a regional office could not be overemphasised.
Ngaringombe explained that the party office in Windhoek mainly handled administrative work and the Oshakati office would deal with the general operations of the party.
He said the office would serve all the northern regions.
Because of the ongoing negotiations with the Oshakati council, Ngaringombe could not say when the new office would be operational.
KENYA KAMBOWE
For more than four years now the PDM has been renting conference venues or held meetings under trees for lack of its own offices.
The office in Oshakati that the party used in the past did not belong to them and they had to vacate it when the new building of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration was built there.
In January 2016, PDM president McHenry Venaani told journalists in Windhoek that the party wanted to establish a strong presence in the north, which is a Swapo stronghold.
Venaani was quoted as saying that the PDM's headquarters would be moved to the Oshana Region within three months, but that never happened.
This office was to be in Ongwediva.
But after the party had rented a house in that town and wanted to convert it into offices, the move was apparently blocked by the Ongwediva town council.
According to PDM deputy secretary-general Linus Tobias they had already prepared the house and were ready to move in when the council intervened, saying the area was not zoned for office use.
Tobias said they then applied to several other town councils for a piece of land where they could build their headquarters and Oshakati responded positively.
“Currently the deal is not finalised as we are still negotiating with the council about the land and thereafter we will construct our own office,” Tobias said.
Yesterday PDM secretary-general Manuel Ngaringombe said the importance of having a regional office could not be overemphasised.
Ngaringombe explained that the party office in Windhoek mainly handled administrative work and the Oshakati office would deal with the general operations of the party.
He said the office would serve all the northern regions.
Because of the ongoing negotiations with the Oshakati council, Ngaringombe could not say when the new office would be operational.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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