Rent board: AR issues another threat

The Affirmative Repositioning Movement has issued another legal threat against the authorities over the slow implementation of resolutions taken during a meeting with President Hage Geingob three years ago, which included the introduction of a rent control board.AR leading figure Job Amupanda, in a strongly worded letter to industrialisation minister Tjekero Tweya, demanded to know why the government had not implemented the resolutions as agreed at the State House meeting three years ago. Amupanda also demanded that the minister explain before Friday, 18 May at 16:00 why the youth should not approach the court to compel him and the government to implement a rent control board and to prescribe tariffs as stipulated by the Estate Agents Act. He also demanded that the minister explain why he should not be held personally liable for the failure to faithfully obey, execute the Rent Ordinance of 1977 and the Estate Agents Act. Tweya's predecessor, Immanuel Ngatjizeko, said in 2016 that a cabinet meeting had approved the establishment of a rent control board. “All in the interest of capitalist objectives of amassing untaxed wealth and profit from rent. An existing law cannot be placed under the carpet for the purpose of convenience, imaginary or future plans of officials. It may actually be an offence on the part of the government,” Amupanda wrote. He also pointed out that the Estate Agents Act's Section 33 (1) (B) provides for the government to prescribe tariffs for estate agents. However, said Amupanda, government negotiations to implement this provision, which should in fact be regarded as an obligation and non-negotiable, had been fruitless. “The results of government and your ministry's refusal and zigzagging on the implementation of existing laws have had devastating consequences on us as a renting population. “This pro-elite rental environment has become unbearable to us with the ever-increasing price of rent, exploitation of tenants by landlords and a plethora of problems which the ordinance was unable or unwilling to solve this matter through engagements that took four years to date,” he wrote. In February last year, the AR also threatened legal action against the government, which put on hold the appointment of a rent control board until the tabling of a new bill.Tweya, as information minister, then announced a sudden turnabout on appointing a rent control board by saying the 1977 law had become obsolete and would “render the work of the rent board of no force or effect”. He announced that a new rent bill was on the cards which would replace the current legislation. Until that time, it would be impractical to implement a rent control board, he said. The rent bill has not yet been discussed in parliament. Tweya was not reachable for comment yesterday as his phone went unanswered.JEMIMA BEUKES

Rent board: AR issues another threat

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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Rent board: AR issues another threat

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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