Windhoek/Rundu
DTA of Namibia is pulling all stops to recover its Rundu plot allegedly sold dubiously by party officials in the Kavango Region in 2013.
Party president McHenry Venaani on Monday told New Era that the party only learnt of the sale last month, almost two years after it was sold.
“The buyer who bought the property has not gotten in touch with the party. The DTA is demanding its property back because if you look at the deed of sale and stories behind the money paid, it tells you that the whole deal was illegal,” said Venaani.
Venaani has also revealed that Vinsent Kanyetu called saying he acted on bad advice and he wanted to come out openly on the matter.
“I am expecting them to come out openly to conclude the investigation,” said Venaani.
“We do not know how much was paid and how much was received. The members who sold it have not divulged or explained how much they got,” he said.
He urged the buyer to engage the party’s lawyers so that the situation could be “solved amicably”.
Meanwhile, the suspended regional co-ordinators from Kavango West and East regions have revealed the party’s headquarters in Rundu was sold with permission from the party’s head office to settle an outstanding municipal debt.
The party’s Kavango West regional co-ordinator Boniface Kashera said the decision to sell the plot on which the party’s headquarters are situated was taken by the regional leadership under the stewardship of suspended secretary general, Vinsent Kanyetu.
“The plot was sold to try to pay the party’s debts that escalated to over N$100 000. We agreed with the buyer that he should settle the debt at the town council and the purchase price of the plot,” revealed Kashera.
Rundu Town Council records, to which New Era is privy, indicate that DTA signed a deed of sale to acquire the immovable property measuring 1 379 square metres in 2013 for N$82 740.
The payment is still outstanding, however.
The buyer also deposited N$180 000 into the party’s regional account.
According to Kashera, the money was used to fund DTA’s campaign in the two Kavango regions during last year’s National Assembly and Presidential polls.
“The money is what we used for DTA campaigns last year and that’s why the performance was so good. No one pocketed it [money] and we even paid for the DTA Gobabis branch, which had debts with the Gobabis Municipality amounting to over N$40 000,” explained Kashera.
He said the decision to assist the office in Gobabis came from our head office in Windhoek, they know how we spent the money,” he said.
“The head office people once asked me for a report about the situation when they came here to investigate the matter and I gave them all that they needed to know, it was all clear, they knew about it [how the money was spent],” Kashera said.
He also said he is still waiting for his suspension letter. “I just read about it in the newspaper but I have not received the suspension letter.”
Kashera also narrated how he worked tirelessly for the party for the past 17 years without any financial incentives whatsoever.
“I used to receive a cell phone allowance and nothing more for all these years. They are just running away from their responsibility of the promises they made with regard to us,” he said.
Kashera said Venaani was aware of the sale.
Meanwhile, Kavango East regional co-ordinator Reinhilde Kudumo also concurred with Kashera that the plot was sold to settle the municipal debt.
She said the town council was threatening to auction the plot to recover its money.
“Kashera told the council to give us time to consult our head office and he informed the then secretary general [Venaani]. Venaani responded saying there was no money and that the council should give us more time,” she said.
Kashera said the town council notified the party that it must vacate the plot because it would be placed on auction.
“We did not want our party to be published in the newspaper that our office is being auctioned because there is no money that would not have been good for the party’s image,” she said.
The money deposited into the party’s account was earmarked for the construction of new party offices in Rundu.
Like Kashera, Kudumo also said she has been working tirelessly for the party without pay.
“They just want to use us when it’s near elections and dump us when elections are over. We have heard rumours that they are saying that Kavangos are nothing in the party, they can win without us but they know we are the ones that work hard but we do not benefit,” said an irked Kudumo.