Pensioner claims 'raw deal' for land
A pensioner is saying the Oshakati Town Council robbed him and his neighbours of proper compensation when they bought their land 17 years ago.
A pensioner from Okaku Kiipupu, who was compensated for his land 17 years ago, is alleging that the Oshakati Town Council has discriminated against the localities of residents when compensating them for their land and is demanding a new and fair compensation from the council.
The man is claiming that he discovered that the method used to compensate landowners from Okaku, where the majority were old and illiterate, was daylight robbery and was not the same method used at Ehenye and Ekuku were landowners were young and educated.
Helmut Hamwaalwa, 75, said that in 2000 he received total compensation of just over N$300 000 for his land which measured 12 hectares, while others received millions for their land of the same size. He is saying that the town council is now generating a lot of money from plot sales.
He said after he conducted research he found out that what they received in Okaku Kiipupu was a pittance compared to those at Ehenye and Ekuku.
“I was happy with the money I received until I did research on how others in other villages were compensated. People from Ekuku and Ehenye were compensated with a lot of money because they have money and are educated. The majority from Okaku Kiipupu are old and not so well educated and that is why they discriminated against us,” Hamwaalwa claims.
He alleged that town council is now busy claiming that it was easy to deal with Okaku Kiipupu residents, more so than other townships because they were “robbed” of their land.
“The same money I got for my plot as compensation is the same money the municipality is now asking for a small plot. This is not fair compensation. They cannot be making a lot of money from our land while they failed to compensate us fairly. They must come back and compensate us fairly,” he said.
Oshakati Town Council's spokesperson Katarina Kamari said compensation differs from property to property even if the land is the same size.
“Compensation is determined by valuators. It depends on what you have on your land and how you develop it. That is why compensation will never be the same. These people were given contracts that they signed that they were happy with the compensation made to them,” Kamari said.
Kamari also said that Hamwaalwa can go to the council office so that these matters can be explained to him.
ILENI NANDJATO
The man is claiming that he discovered that the method used to compensate landowners from Okaku, where the majority were old and illiterate, was daylight robbery and was not the same method used at Ehenye and Ekuku were landowners were young and educated.
Helmut Hamwaalwa, 75, said that in 2000 he received total compensation of just over N$300 000 for his land which measured 12 hectares, while others received millions for their land of the same size. He is saying that the town council is now generating a lot of money from plot sales.
He said after he conducted research he found out that what they received in Okaku Kiipupu was a pittance compared to those at Ehenye and Ekuku.
“I was happy with the money I received until I did research on how others in other villages were compensated. People from Ekuku and Ehenye were compensated with a lot of money because they have money and are educated. The majority from Okaku Kiipupu are old and not so well educated and that is why they discriminated against us,” Hamwaalwa claims.
He alleged that town council is now busy claiming that it was easy to deal with Okaku Kiipupu residents, more so than other townships because they were “robbed” of their land.
“The same money I got for my plot as compensation is the same money the municipality is now asking for a small plot. This is not fair compensation. They cannot be making a lot of money from our land while they failed to compensate us fairly. They must come back and compensate us fairly,” he said.
Oshakati Town Council's spokesperson Katarina Kamari said compensation differs from property to property even if the land is the same size.
“Compensation is determined by valuators. It depends on what you have on your land and how you develop it. That is why compensation will never be the same. These people were given contracts that they signed that they were happy with the compensation made to them,” Kamari said.
Kamari also said that Hamwaalwa can go to the council office so that these matters can be explained to him.
ILENI NANDJATO
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