Oshakati threatened with illegal shacks

Oshakati threatened with illegal shacks Youth from the Oshana Region have decided that if the Oshakati town council does not stop allocating plots to certain prominent people, which they say was done illegally, they will identify the plots and erect shacks on them.
Yesterday a group of about 70 youth held a peaceful demonstration in Oshakati where they handed over a petition at the governor’s office and another at the council offices.
The demonstration follows after council documents circulated on social media which are interpreted as such that council’s management committee chairperson, Gabriel Kamwanka, finance manager Damian Hamunyela, infrastructure and technical services director Lucas Amushembe and Oshana governor Clemens Kashuupulwa were granted plots because of their social standing and influence over those who have decision-making powers in the council.
Kashuupulwa applied for a residential plot for the construction of flats on 9 April 2014. He was allocated plot 861, measuring 4 167 square metres, at Ekuku Extension 2 at a price of N$375 030 on 30 November this year.
Kamwanka applied for a business plot on 10 February 2014 and was allocated plot 107, measuring 8 703 square metres, at Ehenye North at a price of N$957 330.
Hamunyela, who previously sold a plot he had received from the council, was allocated another plot, Erf 1630, measuring 870 square metres, at Oshakati Extension 3 at a price of N$69 600.
Amushembe was allocated Erf 1 272, measuring 2 663 square metres, at Ekuku Extention 4 for the construction of a shopping complex at a price of N$292 930.

The Petition
The youth demand a public apology with 45 working days and that the land allocation process to the above-mentioned individuals be halted.
The group threatened that if the council did not meet their demands they would open a case with the Anti-Corruption Commission and if need be they would identify the plots in question and erect shacks on them.
“We demand that Oshakati town council must halt the process and give a public apology within 45 working days (to exact until 20 February 2017),” Affirmative Reposition (AR) land activist Hileni Malakia said when she read the petition.
“We shall open a case with the office of the Anti-Corruption Commission. We are going to identify the plots that are ill-acquired and erect shacks on them,” Malakia further read.
In their petition the group argue that Kamwanka, Hamunyela and Amushembe were present in the council meetings when their plots were discussed, which they say contravened the Local Authority Act.
The Act states that “no member of a local authority council shall in his or her capacity of such a member be present if and when any vote takes place at any meeting of the local authority council in connection with any contract or matter referred to in subsection 1.”
The town’s acting CEO, Kornelius Kapolo, said earlier this week that there was no law stipulating who should get a plot. He said the four recipients were excused from meetings when the allocation of their plots was discussed.
Kapolo questioned why people were targeting the four, saying that they deserved plots just like any other Namibian.
Kashuupulwa is said to be on leave and the petition was received on his behalf by his special advisor, Micheal Mwinga. At the town council it was received by the newly elected mayor, Angelus Iyambo.
KENYA KAMBOWE