Selma Ikela
Windhoek-Windhoek Mayor Muesee Kazapua says they will discuss the closure of car washes at the monthly council meeting and request the City Police to consider postponing such closure and the N$1 000 fines that begun being issued to illegal car washes on Wednesday. Councillors would review the modalities of the clampdown.
Kazapua said car wash owners stated in a petition handed to the city council on Tuesday that they are being required to be in possession of a fitness certificate, but which they claimed the municipality ironically stopped issuing some two years ago.
Based on that, Kazapua said, they would discuss in the meeting if they could postpone the current clampdown in response to an outcry from car wash owners, as they claimed they had applied for fitness certificates but in vain.
“What we are saying is for them to reconsider the operation – put it on hold while we discuss the modalities.” However, Kazapua said car washes are a concern and they want to look into the system to see if owners had applied for the certificate or not.
However, City Police Senior Superintendent Gerry Shikesho maintained they would continue with their operation until they reach all corners of Windhoek.
Shikesho said they visited the Single Quarters and Abraham Mashego Street yesterday where they inspected 15 car washes. He said seven of the car washes were given a notice to cease operations but were not issued with the N$1 000 fine.
He explained the businesses were operating within their boundaries of their erven but did not meet some requirements and were given a chance to work on outstanding requirements.
He said the City Police would return to inspect if everything was in place.
Shikesho advised car wash owners to consult the municipal town planning department for assistance in terms of putting up the required drainage.
Shikesho further disputed that car washes were not warned in advance as they had visited car washes last year. Car wash owners said the City Police never told them to remove structures if their businesses were not in compliance.
Shikesho responded: “It is not true. That’s the reason we have a figure of car washes in Windhoek (because we visited them). We went from one car wash to the next.
We told them what was not right and told them we are coming. Before one takes action you talk to people. We even went to the radios but sometimes these car wash owners get information from one another which is distorted.”