Nuusita Ashipala
Ondangwa-The Ondonga Traditional Authority secretary Nepando Amupanda has cautioned the public against crucifying the current leadership and tarnishing their names.
Amupanda’s call follows allegations from outraged community members accusing him of being instructed by the Oshikoto Land Board to remove poles he allegedly erected at a property at Onamungudo.
“I have not erected poles at Onamungundo. I have no plot there either – this is pure distortion of facts. People should learn to tell the truth,” said Amupanda.
Amupanda confirmed he received a letter from the Oshikoto Land Board, but contrary to the allegations, he says the land board instructed the OTA to evict the people from the land in question.
However, a defiant Amupanda has refused to evict a family from their rightful property, as instructed by the land board.
Amupanda thus requested the land board to reverse its decision and implement the recommendations forwarded to it by the axed traditional councillors in February this year.
“The land board knows what it should do and that is simply to reverse their decision – why should we evict the people?” questioned Amupanda.
A letter signed by the former secretary of Ondonga recommended that the certificates of the land in question be rewritten so that it excludes areas which belong to other residents.
According to Amupanda, there is conflict at the land in question with one of the residents having included an area that was lawfully awarded to another resident by the former leadership in 2010.
“This is not an issue that started when I took over the office, it has been there long since I joined. Unfortunately, the recommendations that were made to the land board were also not done during my tenure,” said Amupanda.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the land board could not comment on the matter and referred all questions to the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement.