FOLLOWING a “dodgy” deal that left the town of Opuwo without a sports facility, residents have taken matters into their own hands to raise funds in a bid to construct a new Newman Katuta Stadium on the outskirts of the town. 

A group of more than 300 residents, comprising businesspeople, politicians, traditional leaders, unemployed youth, technocrats, and ordinary residents, have committed to raising funds for the stadium’s construction. 

The group is gaining momentum by the day. 

The idea is that each group member, resident, or good Samaritan contributes N$1000 towards the fund between November 2023 and next November. 

This is after Opuwo town council dubiously sold the government-owned Newman Katuta Stadium located in the then central business district for around N$1.3 million to northern businessman Erastus ‘Chicco’ Shapumba back in 2016. 

Operating under the banner ‘Newman Katuta Stadium Upgrade Fundraising Community’ on the popular social media site WhatsApp, the group is dedicated to raising funds for the stadium’s construction. 

“We have come together as residents who sought answers concerning the sale of the stadium, which, according to us, seems dubious. The group was created to solicit funds for the construction of the stadium, as we have deemed it necessary that the council and other stakeholders find us on the stadium reconstruction journey,” said Judah Muharukua, one of the movement’s co-founders. 

The sports enthusiast continued: “This was necessitated by the fact that our community is a sport-based one, and we are also trying to do away with alcohol abuse as statistics indicate that there are more bars in the town compared to recreational facilities, which are almost non-existent.” 

Muharukua then called on all Opuwo residents, Kunene inhabitants, corporates, government institutions, and the nation to rally behind the initiative through donations. 

He said each contribution will be accounted for and they are working together with the town council, which is the custodian of the stadium. 

“We are pleading with the community members and sport-loving stakeholders to assist us in this regard. Among those who have pledged are farmers, jobless people, and ordinary residents who survive on informal markets or trading and want to plough back into the community,” Muharukua pleaded. 

Their goal is to support the Opuwo Town Council with the construction or upgrading of the Newman Katuta Stadium. 

The sale of the Newman Katuta Stadium followed a 2013 council resolution. It was executed without the government’s (Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service) knowledge or blessing, who owned the stadium. 

To this day, it remains unclear how this deal was allowed to sail through, in wanton disregard for the State Finance Act, among other legislation regulating the sale of State assets. 

According to a May report by New Era, Shapumba said, at all material times, he acted in good faith during and after negotiations with the Opuwo Town Council. In 2013, Shapumba, along with the town’s management, convinced the council to sell the historic Newman Katuta Stadium. In exchange, Shapumba would allegedly develop a shopping mall on the land where the stadium is situated. 

The facility had four pavilions, two separate dressing rooms, a caretaker’s house, and a netball and volleyball court. But before Shapumba could commence with the project, a gentleman’s agreement was struck between the then council and him: The businessman would first have to build a stadium of the same quality on land allocated and identified by the council. 

He, however, maintained that a sales agreement was entered into between him and the council as opposed to a mere verbal agreement. 

The project never took off, as Shapumba would later sell the stadium to Gerrit Schoeman, a businessman based in Opuwo, for around N$5 million without adding any value. 

- emumbuu@nepc.com.na