WINDHOEK – A disastrous ceiling collapse on Tuesday at the entrance of the Windhoek Country Club Resort and Casino (WCCR) has been attributed to strong winds. Fortunately, no staff members or guests were injured when the entire ceiling of the VIP drop-off area came loose and crashed onto the floor of the entrance at around 14h00.   

“At around lunch time today a strong gust of wind caused the Porte Cochere drywall ceiling to collapse. Fortunately, no injuries were sustained by any patrons or staff. As a precautionary measure, the main entrance to the hotel has been blocked off and a temporary entrance to the hotel has been made available for our guests. We apologise for any inconvenience that might have been caused by this unforeseen circumstance,” read a statement issued by the general manager of the hotel, Tony Boucher. 

The WCCR is wholly-owned by government and is well-known to be one of the few state-owned enterprises that have in recent years made regular dividend payments to its shareholder. Last year the establishment handed a dividend cheque of N$6 million to government for the 2017/18 financial year. 

During 2018 WCCR completed a major refurbishment, which was fully paid out of its own cash reserves. It is estimated that before recent renovations the WCCR held a cash flow reserve of about N$70 million. Even after the recent dividends paid and extensive renovations the resort still held about N$20 million in cash reserves.