Omatala haunts Shimbulu

Omatala haunts ShimbuluRefuses to take mayoral defeat on the chin Oshakati mayor Katrina Shimbulu''s allocation of the old Oshakati Open Market to a property developer led to her demotion to an ordinary councillor this week. The Oshakati Town Council yesterday elected Angelus Iyambo as its new mayor, ending Katrina Shimbulu''s 12-month reign, while Gabriel Kamwanka retained his chairpersonship of the management committee, now in his eighth year.

Although it was announced as a reshuffling of the town council, only Shimbulu was removed from the mayoral position she held for a year. She will now serve as an ordinary councillor while every other position has remained unchanged.

Shimbulu told Namibian Sun that this was a strategy to keep her away from matters relating to the town''s development, while Kamwanka maintained it was a decision by the six-member council to make her an ordinary member.

Sources within the council confirmed that Shimbulu''s allocation of the old Oshakati Open Market, known locally as Omatala, is what caused her demotion.

In June last year, she allocated the land to Mouse Properties CC, owned by Erastus ''Chicco'' Shapumba who paid N$2.5 million for the land.

Shimbulu told Namibian Sun that, “during the council meeting on 24 June last year, I decided to take the old Omatala matter from the management committee to the council committee to award the land to an owner. The council was in a deadlock. Three members were supporting BH Properties, while the other three were supporting Mouse. I then took a deciding vote when I voted for Mouse,” said Shimbulu. It is reported that Kamwanka supports BH Properties and has in earlier reports been linked to the company.

Sources say he is not happy with the allocation to Mouse and is doing everything in his power to stop it.

Apart from being the chairperson of the management committee, he is also the chairperson of the land and housing committee, a body which advises the management committee on land and housing issues.

Kamwanka was elected as a councillor in 2010 and has been the chairperson of management committee ever since.

In 2013 the management committee started with the processes of allocating old Omatala land and as yet, it appears to be unresolved.

In December last year a technical committee recommended to the council that FAI Square Development Consortium - believed to be owned by business tycoon Frans Aupa Indongo - be allocated the prime land after submitting the most sophisticated bid. However, the decision infuriated some councillors at Oshakati, reportedly led by Kamwanka.

When Shimbulu became mayor this year she said she decided to put an end to the matter that has been blocking development in the town. “It has been a contentious issue for the town council and had dominated management meetings this year.”

A well-placed source reported that Kamwanka decided to unseat Shimbulu to make sure that the allocation process starts again.

“Omatala dominated every council meeting this year, but they could not resolve it. The management committee has discussed the matter ten times, the extra management committee nine times, while the full council meeting has had it on the table ten times,” the source said.





It also reported that urban and rural development minister Sophia Shaningwa has instructed the town council to resolve the issue.

Kamwanka denied all the allegations and said the fact that Shimbulu lost her mayoral position confirms that fellow councillors do not want her.

“It is not Kamwanka''s decision; it was decided by the six council members including myself. According to the Act, office bearers are only allowed to serve for a year,” Kamwanka said.

Kamwanka could not explain why he is serving one portfolio for seven years if the Act only gave a one-year term.

“I do not vote for myself. As you have seen it today, I was nominated.”

Shimbulu said that the Omatala issue has come a long way, even before she become the mayor and now, it is still continuing because of some individuals who are delaying it for their “private interests”.

Shimbulu would not single out those individuals, but added, “there was always tension during the council meeting when we discussed Omatala.”

During the voting process, Kamwanka voted for Iyambo to become the new mayor, while Iyambo voted for Kamwanka to continue as the chairperson of management committee. Other members are Ndamononghenda Hamunyela as deputy mayor, Johaness Shilongo and Loise Shivolo as members of the management, while Shimbulu and DTA councillor Linus Tobias are ordinary members.