In a classified advertisement placed in the coastal newspaper, the Namib Times, the town's Acting CEO, MPC Swarts, gave notice that Erf 4209, comprising 751 square metres, was to be sold to MA van Nieuwenhuizen for a mere N$19 886,50.

The Town Council allows its employees to acquire land or excess council property as a condition of service.

The same advertisement also stated the Council's intention to sell three other council properties to three other employees at prices ranging from N$85 220 to N$289 932.06.

Swakopmund CEO Eckhardt Demasius yesterday said upon enquiry that Nieuwenhuizen was an employee of the Council, and the Council had a policy of making it attractive for employees to obtain and develop property of their own.

Employees who acquire council property from the STC in this manner are precluded from selling the properties for a period of five years.

The price - which he concedes is less than 10 per cent of what such a property would fetch on the open market - was calculated according to a formula based on non-remunerative services, Demasius said.

Ironically, on the same newspaper page, the Swakopmund Town Council advertised an auction of erven to "first-time property owners" in the old Mile 4 area, where the cheapest upset price is N$41 790 for less than 500 square metres.

The most expensive erven, at 1 038 square metres, have an upset price of N$72 660, according to the advertisement.

This auction of 151 erven, which is to take place on October 25, has already triggered another speculative boom among local businessmen, as this auction will be open to any first-time buyers, whether they live in Swakopmund or not, sources in the local real estate industry suggested.

These erven are situated on the northern outskirts of Swakopmund, in what has become to known as 'Kleine Kuppe By-the-Sea' because of the rush of property speculation that has seen dozens of multi-million dollar mansions erected there over the past few years.

But the sale of Erf 4209 has especially aroused the ire of long-time Swakopmunders, who feel that council employees are enriching themselves at the expense of income to the town.

Kramersdorf, which is about 15 minutes' walk from the town centre, is one of the most sought-after areas.

The erf in question is an in area where the Town Council recently auctioned off land for developers.

Prices at the auction ranged from N$150 000 to more than double that.

An inspection of other, similar properties of the same size in the same area showed that none were sold for under N$150 000, with one erf - also 751 square metres - recently sold privately for N$400 000.

Demasius however staunchly defended the Council's sale of Erf 4209 for such a low price, saying that the council was fully aware of the property's market value.

"Council is fully aware of the situation, (but) they approved the sale," Demasius said.

* John Grobler is a freelance journalist; 081 240 1587

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