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Home / //Kharas governor ordered to vacate rented house
//Kharas governor ordered to vacate rented house
2018-02-26Staff Report 2 Matheus Hamutenya Keetmanshoop -//Kharas Regional Governor, Lucia Basson, has been told to vacate her rented house in Keetmanshoop’s Kronlein suburb by the end of March. Basson now seeks to move into the regional State House, situated in the Noordhoek area, until she figures out a way forward. The house that Basson is renting belongs to a private owner, who worked outside Keetmanshoop but now intends to return to the town permanently. In a letter to the //Kharas Regional Council chairperson, Jan Scholtz, Basson said she has been told to vacate the house she has been renting at the town for the last seven years and thus would like to be accommodated at the State House for a while until she can find a new place to stay. “I am thus seeking permission from the regional council to be granted authorisation to occupy the regional State House while I sort out my accommodation dilemma,” she said in the letter dated 20 February. Basson, however, did not indicate in the letter how long she plans to stay at the State House, a facility usually meant to accommodate the Head of State when he visits. New Era understands that councillors were divided over whether to grant the governor her wish to stay at the state house, during the first ordinary council meeting last Thursday. Scholtz confirmed receiving the letter from the governor and explained that council has not made a decision yet. He said there are two ways to look at the issue since current and former presidents use the State House when they visit the town and thus it remains important for such use. However, he said, the council is equally cognisant of the governor’s situation, as she was given short notice and thus council is willing to assist her in whatever way possible. “I received such a letter, but we have not written something back to her yet; we are still deciding on that. Council is also willing to look for a house for her and we are still looking into this. But we will also not allow that the governor is left on the streets,” he said. Scholtz further said the governor did not specify how long she wants to stay at the State House, but he said the governor had explained that it would just be a temporary arrangement while she sorts out her accommodation issues. Basson confirmed in a telephonic interview with New Era that she has written a letter to the council seeking to move into the State House temporarily, adding that this would just be a temporary arrangement until she finds a new house. Basson said it has been difficult for her to get the house, but she is now in the process of buying a house and would move into her new house as soon as possible. “I am in the process of buying a house, the only problem is that we do not know how long it will take. Therefore, it depends on the house I want to buy, as soon I get my house I will move out. I do not really want to stay there (State House) but I do not have a choice,” she said. Basson explained that the owners of the house she currently rents have given her notice to vacate the house, as they will be moving back to Keetmanshoop. She added that the council’s response has been positive and that she has written a follow-up letter stating that she is willing to pay for water and electricity while she stays at the house for a while, and she is waiting for an official response from the regional council. 2018-02-26Staff Report 2
