WINDHOEK – The Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development, Major-General Charles Namoloh, has said aggrieved Okahandja residents demonstrating against the local authority council must go home and wait for answers to their petition instead of settling on the premises of the municipality.
A confrontation in front of the local municipality between the police and residents of Okahandja last Monday almost turned chaotic, as defiant protesters called for the removal of certain municipal councillors and staff members.
By Friday, police had to forcefully remove protesters from the municipality’s grounds, after it became apparent that they obstinately refused to leave the premises since Monday.
Otjozondjupa Regional Police Commander Joseph Anghuwo told New Era that he gave orders for the protesters to be removed from the premises, as they were apparently disrupting the normal running of the council by going into the offices of the employees. “They were removed because they were causing a nuisance that warranted their removal,” said Anghuwo, adding that the agreement was that the protesters may be on the premises but should not disrupt the normal running of affairs at the municipality.
But the demonstrators allege that the mayor, Valerie Aron, has apparently organised a counter group with whom they (municipality) hold meetings, but refuse to see the demonstrators.
Wilfredt Goaseb, one of the protesters, said that nobody was hurt during the confrontation on Friday, but they were forcefully removed from the lawn in front of the municipality. “We shall not move until we see the President,” he emphasised.
Helmi Maruru, secretary of the Okahandja community committee, said that there were about 60 people camping across the Okahandja Municipality building, mostly elderly people in the 60s and above.
“We are not even receiving any protection from the police,” she said, adding that the older people were coming every day early in the morning and leaving at night, while the younger ones were sleeping over.
She said that on Monday morning, the police told them it was illegal to camp on the local authority premises.
“We will camp here indefinitely until this problem is sorted out. The President must hear our cries. Send us someone,” she added.
Maruru said that it was very painful to hear the Otjozondjupa Governor, Samuel Nuuyoma, saying that there were no problems in Okahandja while he could have seen the footage on NBC about the unrest at the town.
She pointed out that the town is dirty, people are drinking from toilet pots and the rotting smell in the town is unbearable.
“We have problems. Okahandja is breaking down. We don’t know about the future of this town,” she said.
However, Minister Namoloh during a press conference said, “They don’t understand what a petition is. You hand in the petition and then you go home and wait for answers.”
Governor Nuuyoma, meanwhile, maintains that accusations made against the Okahandja municipality were unfounded and there was no proof on “black and white” to substantiate the allegations.
Okahandja is not the only town experiencing widespread unrest, as town councils of Otjiwarongo, Omaruru and Henties Bay have been hauled over the coals for irregularities and mismanagement.