WINDHOEK – The DTA of Namibia strongly has condemned the Windhoek City Council’s decision to award a prime plot to the son of City Mayor Agnes Kafula and it called on the City Council to rescind its decision as a matter of urgency.
DTA president McHenry Venaani yesterday condemned the City Council for giving David Kafula (26) the son of Windhoek Mayor Agnes Kafula, a prime plot in Windhoek’s Kleine Windhoek suburb and urged it to rescind its decision.
“The council must rescind its decision to sell a prime plot to the son of the mayor because there exist a perception of conflict of interest. Clearly the due process was not followed because another company applied for the same land years ago but they did not get it, yet the mayor’s son gets the land within a year. I am not saying those related to officials should not benefit, as long as the due process is followed then there is no problem at all,” Venaani.
“On the one hand the municipality is busy destroying shacks of the poor people while on the other hand the mayor’s son is being given a prime plot,” he said.
Venaani faulted the Windhoek City Council for its inability to provide enough affordable land to the ordinary residents of Windhoek who are condemned to erecting illegal shacks and backyard tenancy.
“People, especially the youth, in Windhoek are crying because they are land hungry. This thing of saying some people are more special than others does not hold any water. The City needs to start regulating land prices,” he said.
He urged the City to seriously consider the implementation of urban resettlement to ensure available serviced land is commensurate to the needs of the people.
“Every year we spent about N$50 million to buy farms on which we resettle people, we can use this model to fund the servicing of land in Windhoek. The high input cost of servicing plots is also another factor that contribute to the high land prices in Windhoek. Government must also step in and subsidise the servicing of land,” further proposed Venaani who is currently campaigning for presidency.
He accused authorities of running the municipality like a ‘money raking’ institution.
He also wants a ban on the allocation of plots as well as separate land prices and taxes for foreigners and the locals.
The Namibian newspaper yesterday reported that Kafula’s son acquired a prime plot in Windhoek valued at N$5.7 million through his company.
It was also reported the plot was given to the mayor’s son even though another buyer applied for the same plot in 1995, 2001, 2004 and 2009.
Both Kafula and City of Windhoek CEO Niilo Taapopi’s could not be reached for comment as their mobile phones went unanswered yesterday afternoon.