OKAHANDJA – Property developer-cum-town councillor at Okahandja, Andries Bezuidenhoudt, is embroiled in yet another row over land allocation. Some town residents have complained he is circumventing council rules on land for his own benefit.
Residents are not amused the councillor has been allowed to build a house on unserviced land, while they were denied the same privilege with excuses that they cannot access the erven until the land is serviced.
“This is unfair. Everyone is trying to get a house, but he (Bezuidenhoudt) was allowed to build a house,” said one resident who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.
New Era saw a multi-roomed house in Veddersdal Extension 1 in Okahandja that Bezuidenhoudt allegedly started building at the beginning of this year as a show house.
The resident further claimed that the former Okahandja Municipality acting CEO, Ripanda Meroro, who is now the town’s Strategic Executive: Human Resources, Community and Economic Development, was a partner in the project as he had revealed to her (the resident) that they were going to build four show houses on the open plot in Veddersdal.
Approached for comment, Bezuidenhoudt who is the councillor for the United People’s Movement (UPM) confirmed he built the house on unserviced land but was quick to say the municipality was going to install services in that area soon.
He said he bought the erven with his own money and those complaining are free to approach the municipality for clarity.
He denied any claims of favouritism or preferential treatment.
Meroro denied any partnership in the project and referred this reporter to the CEO, Frans Enkali, saying the latter was in charge of administration affairs at the municipality.
But another source maintained Meroro was also involved in the scheme despite his denials.
“Why did they tell the public to wait? It’s unfair for the community,” the source lashed out.
Enkali said he could not form an opinion on the matter although the same information that was given to the public about the un-serviced land was also given to the town councillors.
“Personally, I wasn’t there (at the Veddersdal plot), but will make time to go and see,” he said, adding his understanding was that the land, although proclaimed, should first be serviced before any structures can be erected on it.
It is not the first time Bezuidenhoudt has come under fire over land. In 2012, the town councillor was accused of snatching erven that had already been allocated to other residents, on which he then built houses to sell to residents.
Several residents complained to New Era that he has connections at the municipality who tip him off when an erven has been standing idle for long with default monthly payments.
Residents alleged Bezuidenhoudt used a town map to find the erven, then built houses on the plots, when he found out the erven’s owner was not living in Okahandja anymore or if they had outstanding bills on the erven.
Bezuidenhoudt denied the allegations saying he obtained all land legally.
The Okahandja Municipality has been the subject of several reports over the years regarding complaints that senior officials at the municipality were allegedly profiting from their positions by obtaining municipal tenders for their own private businesses and buying land for peanuts on which they then build houses that only a few can afford – raising concern over conflict of interest.
By Magreth Nunuhe