Zebaldt Ngaruka
GOBABIS – The Gobabis Municipality has clarified changes to tariffs it charges for the use of the Legare Sports Complex. This comes in response to claims circulating in posts on social media platforms issued by the Right to Shelter Foundation (A-RTS-N) regarding the council meeting on 31 March 2026.
At the said meeting, a resolution was tabled by the management committee seeking approval for new tariffs to be charged to clients using the Legare Sports Complex.
The management committee proposed increasing the tariffs on the usage of high mast lights for vendors per day, electricity connections for vendors per day, and electricity connections for schools only per day.
The A-RTS-N councillors objected to the approval of these tariffs despite acknowledging the municipality’s concerns about revenue collection challenges.
Its objection was because the proposed tariffs have allegedly not been gazetted, and the proper legal and administrative procedures have not been followed.
It further reasoned that key processes were lacking, including the absence of clear policy guidelines and the exclusion of the finance department in determining and validating the proposed levies.
Despite these concerns, A-RTS-N said most of the councillors voted in favour of implementing the new tariffs.
“We wish to place it on record that this undermines principles of transparency, accountability, and proper governance, as outlined as one of our governance commitments,” A-RTS-N said in a statement.
Gobabis Municipality spokesperson Frederick Ueitele, in his response, said the correct processes were followed involving the obtaining of a council resolution prior to gazetting.
“The insinuations made by certain councillors that the resolution should first be gazetted before being resolved by council are procedurally incorrect,” he said.
Furthermore, Ueitele said, allegations that key processes were lacking, without specifying these processes, and that the Finance Department was not involved, are false and misleading.
“All management committee recommendations are based on advice from all heads of departments, including finance and the chief executive officer, taking into account relevant legal instruments, primarily the Local Authorities Act,” he said.
Ueitele added that most councillors who voted in favour of the resolution are familiar with the processes, contrary to those who opposed it due to a lack of understanding and facts about municipal operations.
The spokesperson further said the tariff categories mentioned were not in place, and the municipality could not charge ungazetted tariffs, as it is illegal.
The publication is reliably informed that currently the municipality is charging N$2 500 per day for football uses plus an additional N$1 800 for electricity.
Among others, netball and volleyball are charged N$1 000, and electricity is charged separately, while an additional N$1 000 deposit (refundable) is required in advance.
On top of the existing tariffs, the municipality plans to charge N$800 for Mars lights per day, and the electricity connection for Mars lights for vendors and other users is N$1 800 per day.
Additionally, the proposed electricity connection for vendors and other users is N$1 500 per day, while schools will be charged N$600 per day.
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