WALVIS BAY — Festivals and music show organisers will have to fork out more in terms of a refundable deposit when hiring municipal facilities for such gigs and events from now on.
Previously, council demanded an N$1 524 as a refundable fee; however, council, during the ordinary council meeting that took place in Kuisebmond municipal chambers, recommended that organisers be charged N$10 000

 This excludes sporting events that will still be charged N$1 524.
Motivating the decision at the meeting, chairperson of the management committee Lillo Niilenge said the council spends a lot in terms of repairing facilities damaged after shows “… which the non-refundable fee, at the end of the day, does not cover,” she explained.

Apart from that, she says at least six festivals and shows were hosted at municipal facilities, resulting in them as custodians being left with structural damages to the grass surfaces of the sport fields.
“One can see that the demand to host festivals, musical shows and other recreational activities at council facilities has increased dramatically during the last two years. However, a lot of promoters of such shows do not adhere to all conditions set aside by council once approved,” Niilenge explained.

She added it also takes a lot of effort to have the organisers repair the damages that occurred after such festivities, while the N$1 524 refundable fee is simply not enough to cover all the damages.
However, Councillor Gibson Goseb objected to the increase and requested the council to rather reconsider an increase of up to N$5000.

Goseb explained that such activities are seen as income-generating projects and could boost the town’s local economy in the current economic conditions.
“Not all will be able to fork out N$10 000 before an event and might also not even make that much during their event; that’s why we need to reconsider the increase,” Goseb said. The majority of the councillors were in favour of the increase, which will be gazetted once it is approved by council.