WINDHOEK- The Secretary General of the Oruuano Namibian Artists Union, taking advantage of the present acute housing shortage in the capital, has turned the Independence Arena in Katutura meant for musical and cultural events into his private cash-cow by erecting several iron-sheet shacks for rent inside the arena, including a flourishing eatery.
The shacks have gone undetected since August this year, because they are cleverly disguised and blend in almost seemlessly with the wall of the Independence Arena. Vincent Mwemba has turned the Independence Arena into a money-making venue for himself since 2009, and generates rent from at least ten tenants who rent the shacks that he erected inside the venue. Mwemba erected the shacks without seeking permission from the government, the legal owner of the arena. Moreover, he has ignored several warnings from the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture to vacate the premises since May this year after his money-making scheme was uncovered. Mwemba, according to a New Era investigation charges between N$800 and N$1000 each month for each of the corrugated iron shacks that he has erected at the public venue. He has also erected a restaurant where he serves chicken, meatballs and porridge to the public, including police officers. Mwemba with his family of ten people among them his wife and children also live in a storeroom at the Independence Arena since his house was repossessed in 2007.
The debt-saddled Mwemba has not only turned the Independence Arena into his personal cash-cow, but he and his family have since 2009 been using free water and electricity at the expence of the government and by extension the tax-paying Namibian public. His tenants walk approximately 50 metres from their shacks to the showers and toilets built for concert-goers at the venue that has virtually turned into a white elephant, because not many cultural and music events are currently hosted there. Some tenants say because of their desperation for accommodation they have no choice but to seek lodgings from Mwemba. The enterprising Mwemba has also created a backyard garden where he has planted tomatoes and traditional spinach, well known as ‘five years’. On the same government premises, he is also running an office which was established in 1998 and falls under the Ministry of Youth National Services, Sport and Culture with the aim to protect the rights of artists in Namibia.
When approached for comment a seemingly unperturbed Mwemba denied he is living off the public venue and making a killing in the process, claiming that he is using the money from the illegal shacks to sustain the union which has been financially crippled and is so cash-strapped that it cannot even pay water, electricity and salaries. “I am sitting with telephone bills and electricity bills, which run into millions. I am trying to settle them to avoid legal action. That
is why I built the shacks and the restaurant to get some money to sustain the union,” claimed Mwemba, who says he has absolutely nothing to hide.
Mwemba said life became so miserable after his house was repossessed by the bank in 2007, because he could not afford to pay his mortgage. And during that time, he explained that the union was in a financial mess and had no operational budget. According to him, way back in 2010 his office could not afford to pay the electricity bills which prompted the municipality to cut off the electricity supply. New Era is in possession of a letter dated 15 November 2013 from the municipality addressed to Oruuano, informing the outfit that it was in arrears of at least N$235 666 from 2010 to date. Mwemba says the bill escalated because he did not know they were sharing power with two other organisations operating on the same premises that also resort under the ministry of youth. “I didn’t know we were sharing the power until it was cut off. I tried to negotiate with the ministry of youth to come to our rescue, so our operations would not die, but there was no one willing to take the matter up seriously up to now. But they rescued the other two organisations under the directorate of youth. So I came up with the idea to generate money to pay off the bill. I decided to buy a generator to supply power for the restaurant and the tenants. I admit I am on government property and we are using government water, but the money is not for personal gain,” he insisted. “Government is aware that I live here with my family. If the Anti-Corruption Commission comes and investigates I have nothing to hide. The issue of the shacks came as a solution to the many challenges the organisation is going through.
The moment I receive a directive from government that I must remove the shacks, I will do so. And If anyone is saying I am using the venue for personal gain, they must come and do a thorough investigation to understand the whole scenario,” Mwemba said. When asked how he manages to supply more than 10 shacks and an office equipped with computers with power using a generator, he explained he staggers the hours at which to switch the generator on and off. “The generator runs from 08h00 to 15h00, then it is switched off and I put it back on at 18h00 until 23h00. I spend N$500 per day on petrol for the generator. I am not making any money, I am just trying to sustain the office,” he explained in defence of his actions. Oruuano, president Banana Shekupe was unavailable for comment since he is said to be in South Africa. However, Retha Louise Hofmeyr, Director of Arts in the youth ministry said the ministry is aware of Mwemba’s activities at the arena. “I am aware of the whole thing. The ministry already gave him an eviction order in May this year, which he bluntly ignored. How the ministry is going to deal with this is the prerogative of the Permanent Secretary’s office. The issues is with the PSs office, but our directorate has always given them office space, but we do not allow someone to live on government property without permission,” she indicated.
By Albertina Nakale