Liswaniso irked with ombudsman’s ‘apartheid’ remark
CEO says ombudsman is biased
Katima Mulilo CEO said the ombudsman should have spoken to the town council first on the matter before issuing a press statement.
Katima Mulilo CEO Raphael Liswaniso has expressed his disappointment towards Ombudsman Basilius Dyakugha who likened the forceful evictions of residents at Lwanyanda informal settlement as reminiscent of apartheid.
Liswaniso accused the ombudsman of being biased.
Dyakugha joined the bandwagon of those who condemned the Katima Mulilo town council's actions, who, together with a contractor, secured a court order to forcefully evict hundreds of residents from the Lwanyanda informal settlement after they occupied the land without council consent.
Videos and photos of a bulldozer destroying hundreds of structures went viral, which resulted in Dyakugha’s office issuing a press release condemning the demolitions.
"What happened last week in Katima Mulilo town is a remnant of the apartheid era, where people’s houses were destroyed with bulldozers without any regard to their human rights. The Katima Mulilo town council must know that what happened at Lwanyanda informal settlement traumatised children, and many people lost everything they had worked for for many years of their life," Dyakugha wrote.
The ombudsman said that although the town council is failing to address its road infrastructure, they were able to procure earth-moving equipment to demolish people’s homes.
Disappointment
Liswaniso accused Dyakugha of making uninformed statements.
"Why, in his capacity as an ombudsman did he make a press release?" he asked.
He said the ombudsman, as a trained lawyer, should have spoken to the town council first on the matter before issuing a press statement.
"To me, this is a disappointment. He is actually embarrassing himself as an advocate of the law not to have conducted an enquiry to understand both parties prior to him having to release a press release. The law is very clear to him. Katima Mulilo is an organ of the state which exercises its powers in line with the constitution, and whoever is aggrieved in terms of that can approach a court of law.”
Engage with the town council
The CEO added that the ombudsman, as a human rights watchdog, acted "contrary to his mandate. His actions show exactly that he is partly informed and talking from an uninformed perspective. To me, it is a disappointment to have such an ombudsperson," Liswaniso said.
"His press release is similar to a news report where they get a report on information and ask questions later. This is what he demonstrated. He has not contacted our office, and he releases a press release after we have provided to our minister, he could have also contacted our minister."
"Therefore based on that question that he himself sits without the answers I can really not engage with him. I can, however, advise that the ombudsperson engage with the Katima Mulilo town council."
[email protected]
Liswaniso accused the ombudsman of being biased.
Dyakugha joined the bandwagon of those who condemned the Katima Mulilo town council's actions, who, together with a contractor, secured a court order to forcefully evict hundreds of residents from the Lwanyanda informal settlement after they occupied the land without council consent.
Videos and photos of a bulldozer destroying hundreds of structures went viral, which resulted in Dyakugha’s office issuing a press release condemning the demolitions.
"What happened last week in Katima Mulilo town is a remnant of the apartheid era, where people’s houses were destroyed with bulldozers without any regard to their human rights. The Katima Mulilo town council must know that what happened at Lwanyanda informal settlement traumatised children, and many people lost everything they had worked for for many years of their life," Dyakugha wrote.
The ombudsman said that although the town council is failing to address its road infrastructure, they were able to procure earth-moving equipment to demolish people’s homes.
Disappointment
Liswaniso accused Dyakugha of making uninformed statements.
"Why, in his capacity as an ombudsman did he make a press release?" he asked.
He said the ombudsman, as a trained lawyer, should have spoken to the town council first on the matter before issuing a press statement.
"To me, this is a disappointment. He is actually embarrassing himself as an advocate of the law not to have conducted an enquiry to understand both parties prior to him having to release a press release. The law is very clear to him. Katima Mulilo is an organ of the state which exercises its powers in line with the constitution, and whoever is aggrieved in terms of that can approach a court of law.”
Engage with the town council
The CEO added that the ombudsman, as a human rights watchdog, acted "contrary to his mandate. His actions show exactly that he is partly informed and talking from an uninformed perspective. To me, it is a disappointment to have such an ombudsperson," Liswaniso said.
"His press release is similar to a news report where they get a report on information and ask questions later. This is what he demonstrated. He has not contacted our office, and he releases a press release after we have provided to our minister, he could have also contacted our minister."
"Therefore based on that question that he himself sits without the answers I can really not engage with him. I can, however, advise that the ombudsperson engage with the Katima Mulilo town council."
[email protected]
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