WINDHOEK- The Rally for Democracy and Progress Youth League (RDPYL) has reacted strongly to the Windhoek Municipality’s auction sale of 49 serviced plots meant for first-time buyers – at exorbitant prices totalling about N$48 million.
The ridiculous prices left the majority of those attending the auction and beyond unable to buy any of the plots on offer.
Windhoek’s land at last Thursday’s auction for first-time buyers recorded one of the highest prices paid per square metre, with bidders dishing out as much as N$2 300 per square metre for prime land at Academia Extension 1, leaving auction goers who could not afford shaking their heads in disbelief and exiting the auction premises early.
RDPYL Secretary Monica Nambelela at a press briefing yesterday said the expressed objective of the auction was to offer erven to first-time buyers at affordable prices, but developers and the elite who already own a string of properties in the city grabbed them.
She accused the Windhoek Municipality of working in cahoots with property developers to manipulate the supply of, and demand for land in Windhoek.
“This is a manifest strategy to limit ownership for first-time home owners by squeezing them out of the market and in so doing creating a platform for home ownership exclusively catering for the needs of the elite and lining the pockets of developers with more money,” Nambelela charged.
The RDPYL wanted to know whose interest does the Windhoek Municipality serve.
“Does it serve the interest of different structures within Swapo to make sure that those elected on the Swapo ticket to the Windhoek City Council serve the interest of Swapo Party and organs linked to the Swapo Party? Where is the evidence on the basis of which the above conclusion can be made? President (Hifikepunye) Pohamba acquires a residential plot for about N$1.9 million, then the plot was considered too small and the City of Windhoek was instructed to consolidate by adding additional land to make it 5 400 square metres in size. What is the actual market value of the President’s plot? The City of Windhoek says President Pohamba paid for the plot. Yet, the taxpayers of Namibia, according to budget documents will fork out N$36 million for the plot belonging to the President,” Nambelela said.
Further, Nambelela accused government of failing to provide quality and affordable houses, saying the mass housing scheme is just another idea “to siphon money and give tenders to the golden children of Namibia”.
According to her, the above demonstrates that Swapo has manipulated and is using its majority in the city council to look after the interest of its ilk.
“The greedy political elite at the expense of the nation. The City of Windhoek does not look after the interest of Windhoekers and obviously they are the ratepayers. The foregoing shows that it is time for change, time to elect sensible, mature and competent councillors to look after the interest of Windhoekers and not passengers on the Swapo Party gravy train,” she said.
Nambelela also cited a situation where the Namibian working class are finding it difficult to afford a place to live in Windhoek.
“The Namibian working class are being driven in their hundreds out of those areas making way for new players in the game. More and more Namibians, even the working class, are finding themselves in the ghettos while the Angolans and Chinese are buying up every available space.
This is a sad chapter in the history of Namibia. Where have you seen a country where the citizens are being pushed into poverty by poor policies?” she asked.
The opposition youth wing said if such a trend continues, it will result in people looking for greener pastures outside of Namibia which will result “in a brain drain, the same way as many South Africans are today contributing to the economies of New Zealand and Canada”.
The RDPYL also urged residents to vote for Maureen Dunn who is the RDP candidate in the Windhoek West by-election next month.