WINDHOEK – Corporate Communications Manager at the City of Windhoek, Joshua Amukugo has dismissed reports on social media claiming the City has sold a 3000 m2 piece of land to a company to which Job Amupanda is the executive chairman.
Some seemingly selectively chosen correspondences on the proposed sale by private treaty of Erf 1726 measuring 3000 m2 in Wanaheda by the City of Windhoek to Raccoon Investment cc – to which Amupanda is the executive chairman – were circulated on social media yesterday.
In January 2013 Raccoon Investment made an application to the City of Windhoek for Erf 1726 to enable the company to “…construct affordable flats at this Erf to be made available upon completion for Windhoek residents in dire need of housing.”
And yesterday social media was abuzz with reports Amupanda’s company received the land.
“He applied for the land and after lengthy discussions the council showed its readiness to sell him the land and offered it to him, however it’s an on-going process and once its completed the price of the land will be made known to the applicant,” said Amukugo.
Asked why the City of Windhoek offered that specific size to Raccoon Investment, Amukugo responded, “If you read the initial application letter you will understand.”
In June this year Amupanda wrote a letter to City CEO, Niilo Taapopi, expressing his frustrations on the delay of the City to reveal the price for the said land so that Raccoon can purchase it.
Amupanda further noted in the letter that after several follow-ups to the municipality, it was becoming difficult to understand why the process was taking longer than four months for the City of Windhoek to give the price of the land while “others get it in less than a week.”
On the reason why the price of the plot has not yet been made public, Amukugo said:
“That is normal, we don’t rush. The process for the deed of sale is still ongoing.”
In a letter dated December 5, 2013, the City of Windhoek offered Raccoon Investments a 3000 m2 plot in Mersey Street, based in the Katutura area of Wanaheda. Amupaanda responded in writing accepting the offer.
Amupanda has been embroiled in controversy after he and two others – Dimbulukeni Nauyoma and George Kambala – resorted to a “demonstration” in which they cordoned off a piece of land in the posh suburb of Klein Kuppe, under a campaign called “affirmative repositioning”.
The demonstration, which led to the trio’s suspension from Swapo this week, was geared towards addressing the high rental prices and difficulties the youth experience in acquiring land “whilst elites have it easily,” they said.
Amupanda dismissed reports suggesting that he bought land from the City. “They are claiming that I have land. If I have land where is the title deed? When did I buy it? What was the cost of that land?”
He resigned this week as Secretary for Information, Publicity and Mobilisation of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) in what some said was a move intended to pre-empt his imminent dismissal and possible expulsion from Swapo.
Only a few hours after his resignation, Amupanda was suspended from Swapo activities.
Meanwhile Amupanda yesterday circulated a statement saying: “ Since we took the only option left towards addressing the issue of land – an act of Affirmative Repositioning – in an elite area of Klein Kuppe, there has been gigantic responses to our simple act.”
“Indeed, the nation was vibrating and still vibrating. Few want our heads; many want to stand with us. We are very clear; the land issue must be addressed and we are willing to go all lengths to ensure that this issue is addressed. We love this country and this is our demonstration of that love.”
By Rochelle Neidel