Tsumeb
The Swapo leadership in the Oshikoto Region has ordered the Tsumeb Municipality to withdraw its decision to allocate land to the Affirmative Repositioning group headed by Job Amupanda, Dimbulukeni Nauyoma and George Kambala.
Mayor of Tsumeb Ndangi Shetekela allegedly fears losing his council seat after Swapo’s Oshikoto regional co-ordinator Armas Amukwiyu allegedly instructed them to withdraw the allocation of land to the Affirmative Repositioning group members. Following a New Era report that the Municipality of Tsumeb would give favourable consideration to 1 400 young people who applied for land through the Affirmative Repositioning movement, Shetekela had said, “You have put us in trouble with the elders with that article, but you are not a politician and will not understand.” Shetekela and Tsumeb Municipality CEO Archie Benjamin did not respond to questions sent, despite numerous messages left on their mobile phones.
“We have to help the people, where do you send them? Housing is a challenge,“ Benjamin noted. Municipality clerks have told New Era that Amukwiyu was “furious” after learning that the municipality had agreed to allocate land to the group that has threatened municipalities countrywide to answer favourably to mass land applications that they carried out countrywide by July 31, 2015.
When contacted for comment, Amukwiyu did not pick up phone calls or respond to text messages sent by New Era.
Benjamin revealed in an interview two weeks ago that the municipality engaged the group to provide salary categories for the applicants so that they could divide the plots accordingly. He also mentioned that many of the applicants had previously applied for land with the ministry and just decided to join the movement to re-apply. He also noted that preference would be given to residents of the town.
Prior to the article, newly appointed governor of the Oshikoto Region Henock Kankoshi said he had no knowledge of the allocations and declined to further comment. Omuthiya through its CEO Samuel Mbango said the local authority did not award any plots to the group.