The allocation of business units at the Karasburg business park has sparked anger, as some claim they were overlooked despite meeting the stipulated requirements.
The fact that a single person was allocated four business units at the expense of others has angered some business people at the town, who claim that these allocations might have been approved clandestinely.
Jacobus Basson, who applied for a business unit but was unsuccessful, narrated his disappointment to New Era that small businesses had hoped to get space in the park but instead it was only given to certain people who are well connected.
He said the four business units consisting of accommodation and conference facilities, a restaurant and bar were awarded to a single person known as Clemensia Cloete, who is known to be a very good friend of Karasburg local authority councillor Denise Coetzee. Basson noted that there is conflict of interest, as Coetzee is on the board that made the selection on who to award these business units.
He further said that people from Karasburg were supposed to be considered first and this was not the case as Cloete is from Keetmanshoop.
Besides, he said the two are always travelling together for business purposes, while Cloete is always using a vehicle belonging to Coetzee for business purposes, adding that Coetzee is sometimes even seen carrying out business transactions on behalf of Cloete.
“The councillor also does the firms’ banking at FNB,” said Basson.
Basson narrated how enquires into the matter late last year cost him his job as a clinic consultant with Salini because he complained a lot about the matter.
He said Cloete approached him and threatened him, telling him that he got the job with the help of Swapo and the governor’s office and they could take it away the same way they gave it to him.
“She said I got the job through Swapo and the governor and they can take it from me and I was fired one week after that,” he said.
Basson also fumed at the allocation of a business unit to one Sakkie Oberholzer to use as a bakery, who he claims is rich enough to build even 10 of his own bakeries at the expense of small businesses.
Approached for comment telephonically, Coetzee refuted the claims explaining that he was only part of the interviewing panel and the final selection was done by Namibia Development Corporation (NDC) in Windhoek.
He said the accusations are just an effort to tarnish his image and the people behind it have done it on various occasions in the past.
“The people talking to you about this nonsense must take precaution because they are tarnishing my name; they should stop,” he said furiously.
When pressed with further questions, he terminated the call to his mobile number.