In a shocking turn of events, a group of 198 Namibians who paid N$65 000 each for a failed trip to the United Kingdom were told to forget about their refunds.
The group had planned to attend the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year, but the journey was abandoned after immigration officials informed them that they did not have the necessary documentation and background to attend the event.
The majority of these people are unemployed, while others are students.
Another red flag was that no bookings for accommodation in England were made for that group.
It was later revealed that the Commonwealth Games were merely a guise used by Katutura Central constituency councillor Rodman Katjaimo’s group to seek asylum in the UK.
This was a bitter reminder that even the best-laid plans can go awry.
At least N$12.9 million was collected from the would-be travellers, leaving some in financial distress and with emotional scars.
Some victims have not received any money from Katjaimo, while others have received partial refunds ranging from N$1 500 to N$22 000.
When some of the victims demanded their money back from Katjaimo, he reportedly told them to move on, saying he did not have any money to repay them.
“Guys, move on. I don’t have money currently,” he told the victims in a Whatsapp group.
Uakutura Tjipura is one of the victims who have not received a single penny from Katjaimo.
“I am very frustrated as I have worked so hard for that money, just to be told that I should move on,” she cried.
Despite this setback, the victims are not giving up, and are planning a peaceful demonstration to demand that the government intervenes and intercepts Katjaimo’s bank accounts.
“We will not give up until we find closure. Until he provides us with proof that our full amount was paid to service providers, we will not rest,” said another victim, Elvis Nguarambuka.
He wants Katjaimo to provide his bank statements, and prove that the amount was indeed paid to the service providers.
“He told us that N$27 000 of the amount is non-refundable, but that was not indicated in the contract. The contract only states that only 10% is non-refundable, which is for banking charges, etc,” complained Nguarambuka.
Some of the victims have also taken legal action against Katjaimo, and demand that he repays the money before 9 September 2022 or face legal action, including the possibility of seeking the sequestration of his estate.
Lawyer Norman Tjombe, who is representing some of the group members, said they would leave no stone unturned in the case, and that Katjaimo cannot get away with people’s money.
“We will deal with him. Currently, we are still gathering more information, but we will get to the bottom of it,” he added assuredly.
Earlier this week, Katjaimo told New Era that the matter has gradually been used to defame him. He also questioned what a refund for a full amount entails.
“If you pay for tickets and games and accommodation, and that money is not refundable by the services providers, how do you expect me to refund that which is not refunded to me?” he questioned.