Sawi Hausiku 

RUNDU – The Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) have voiced dissatisfaction with the Rundu Town Council for removing their campaign posters from street light poles around the town.

NEFF spokesperson Teresia Hamurenge told Nampa on Monday that all posters belonging to NEFF, the Landless People’s Movement and the Popular Democratic Movement were removed because the parties have not paid council fees.

“The only posters that were not removed belong to the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and Swapo. We have to, apparently, pay N$159 per pole if we want to put posters on the poles,” she said.

She stated that the town council should have informed the political parties about the required payment prior to removing the posters.

 She said they had invested a lot of money in the posters.

“If we had been informed earlier, like through a public notice, we would have paid. Many towns, such as Windhoek, don’t charge us or remove posters,” she added.

She said her party had requested to see the gazetted tariffs, but claimed the council had not provided it.

In response, Rundu Town Council CEO Olavi Nathanael said advertising space on poles is a paid service, and political parties are not excluded from this.

He added that political parties, or any other interested party, must first apply if they wish to use the poles for advertising.

“You don’t just put things up without our consent. Everybody else applies, and then we give you an invoice,” he noted.

He said Swapo and IPC paid to display their posters.

“Everyone, including political parties wishing to do outdoor advertising, whether through free-standing units or poles, pays the necessary charges as per gazetted tariffs,” he remarked. -Nampa