Oshakati yet to decide on Cheda's plot
The Oshakati town council is still to decide whether it will revoke the plot allocated to Zimbabwean-born High Court Judge Maphios Cheda.
This follows strong objections against the transaction.
The town council allocated erf 4035 in Extension 16 to Cheda while it was previously allocated to a Namibian, Patrick Shilongo, in 2015.
This was not taken lightly by members of the public, including the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, which petitioned the council by marching on 26 April to the council buildings, opposing the transaction as a collective objection.
This week, when Namibian Sun enquired regarding the progress of the transaction and whether a decision has in fact been made, the town council spokesperson Katarina Kamari said it is still deliberating on the matter.
“Council is currently still busy with the objections submitted,” Kamari said.
AR is opposing the transaction on the basis that erf 4035 should not be taken away from Shilongo and given to Cheda who is a foreign national, while there a many Namibians in need of residential erven.
Oshakati has a housing backlog of about 7 000 units.
A 19 March council letter to Shilongo, which was seen by Namibian Sun, informs him that the plot allocation to him, made on 10 June 2015, was cancelled, because he could not pay it off in the allocated time period of eight months.
The letter further says that Shilongo was given an extension period after the eight months lapsed but did not pay.
However, the Shilongo family managed to secure a home loan approval from Nedbank on 20 March to commence construction, which AR says should have been considered before Cheda was given the property.
According to the AR petition their demonstration was long overdue because local authorities look at land as business transactions, rather than as a means to help landless people.
“What we have seen happening - especially over the past 15 years - is that towns have become crude agents of capitalism, dispossessing the masses of our people of their land.
As agents of capitalism, towns have become the implementing agents of the ruling political and economic elites who work against the poor black people.
“This protest action is a classic illustration of this problematic status quo,” the petition reads.
The AR looked at four areas - procedural fairness, lack of transparency, the principles of state policy and the AR 2015 waiting list.
They argue that after council was provided with information that the Shilongo family had secured funding, it should not have sold the land to another person.
KENYA KAMBOWE
This follows strong objections against the transaction.
The town council allocated erf 4035 in Extension 16 to Cheda while it was previously allocated to a Namibian, Patrick Shilongo, in 2015.
This was not taken lightly by members of the public, including the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, which petitioned the council by marching on 26 April to the council buildings, opposing the transaction as a collective objection.
This week, when Namibian Sun enquired regarding the progress of the transaction and whether a decision has in fact been made, the town council spokesperson Katarina Kamari said it is still deliberating on the matter.
“Council is currently still busy with the objections submitted,” Kamari said.
AR is opposing the transaction on the basis that erf 4035 should not be taken away from Shilongo and given to Cheda who is a foreign national, while there a many Namibians in need of residential erven.
Oshakati has a housing backlog of about 7 000 units.
A 19 March council letter to Shilongo, which was seen by Namibian Sun, informs him that the plot allocation to him, made on 10 June 2015, was cancelled, because he could not pay it off in the allocated time period of eight months.
The letter further says that Shilongo was given an extension period after the eight months lapsed but did not pay.
However, the Shilongo family managed to secure a home loan approval from Nedbank on 20 March to commence construction, which AR says should have been considered before Cheda was given the property.
According to the AR petition their demonstration was long overdue because local authorities look at land as business transactions, rather than as a means to help landless people.
“What we have seen happening - especially over the past 15 years - is that towns have become crude agents of capitalism, dispossessing the masses of our people of their land.
As agents of capitalism, towns have become the implementing agents of the ruling political and economic elites who work against the poor black people.
“This protest action is a classic illustration of this problematic status quo,” the petition reads.
The AR looked at four areas - procedural fairness, lack of transparency, the principles of state policy and the AR 2015 waiting list.
They argue that after council was provided with information that the Shilongo family had secured funding, it should not have sold the land to another person.
KENYA KAMBOWE
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article