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Tue 13 Aug 2013
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Last update on: 12 Aug 2013
The Namibian
Mon 12 Aug 2013
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News    Opinions    Sport    Business    Entertainment    Oshiwambo    Archive    Top Revs    Letters   
 SMS Of The Day * MINISTRY of Gender and Child Welfare, TEARS are rolling down as I write this SMS. The killing of women in Namibia is now like reciting a poem. Are we really getting the protection we deserve while women not being treated as part of this c
 Food For Thought * SO the Zimbabwe elections were free and peaceful and not free and fair?
 Bouquets And Brickbats * NURSES at Katutura Hospital must stop wearing those big plastic sandals at work because they are not the official working shoes. We want to see you looking smart and beautiful with your full uniform.
 SMS Of The Day * THIS nation is in dire need of a massive conference on housing. When we experienced a crisis in the education sector a crisis-control brain-storming conference was organised which resulted in the best deal ever for the Namibian child, nam
 Food For Thought * BOURGEOISIE has become a daily occupation if not the order of the day of the upper-echelons, President Hifikepunye Pohamba we urge you to revisit this unpatriotic geocentricism among your staff and the well-connected, for everybody to r
 Bouquets And Brickbats * COMMISSIONER of Prisons, can you please explain the strategies you use to appoint officers to certain positions? It is my observation that you are being fed with wrong information then you just promote individuals without making p
 SMS Of The Day * I THINK Paulus ‘The Rock’ Ambunda lost his belt because of this promoter and trainer. How can a world champion still be training at the Katutura Youth Complex where there is not enough equipment. I think they must follow the example of Ha
 Food For Thought * NAMIBIA Dairies are unable to match low prices of imported milk and this ultimately means the consumer will have to pay more for local milk. Look at the prices of the local chicken. All these profits are going in the pockets of a few in
 Bouquets And Brickbats * I AM pleased to hear that Cabinet has responded positively to the proposal of Namibia Dairies to support the industry. The restrictions which support the industry by reducing competition to ensure the survival of the industry is a
 SMS Of The Day * CEO’s golden handshakes. Somewhere on our statute books there must be a provision that if a board of directors suspends/dismisses a CEO without due regard to legal provision (substantive/procedural law) such board must carry the costs for
 Food For Thought * JACKY Asheeke was so right with her last column- why are the fathers of the dead children not being prosecuted? (Reference to the children who died in shack fires last week) Our justice system still protects men over women. In this cont
 Bouquets And Brickbats * ALEXACTUS Kaure, your column in Friday’s newspaper opened my eyes. One hardly finds impartial case study analysers in Namibia. Let’s not destroy the Polytechnic’s strong foundation (Tjivikua) as yet. At least wait until the transf
POLL
What do you think of the renaming and addition of regions and constituencies?

1. Long overdue

2. A waste of money

3. We have bigger issues

4. I don't care


Results so far:
 Older Polls
NEWS - NAMIBIA | 2013-08-05
Ramatex portion goes for N$143m
Shinovene Immanuel

GOING, GOING, GONE ... A part of the Ramatex in Windhoek’s Otjomuise has been sold.
THE City of Windhoek has sold part of Ramatex for N$143million to a United States-based textile firm, NamUSA.
The 38-hectare piece of commercial land was once occupied by the Malaysian textile firm Ramatex, which closed shop in 2008. Council decided to sell the land last week after recommendation from its management committee.

NamUSA is a joint venture between business personalities from Namibia and the United States.

Despite council’s approval, the sale has not been finalised since the latest agreement was meant to serve as security since the land is subdivided.

The co-owner of NamUSA, Alfred Cooper, yesterday described the transaction as a “good deal” and that they are waiting for the municipality to provide them with council resolutions to start moving in.

According to council papers, the investors insisted that it would provide them with security if a sale agreement is signed, which can be subject to specific conditions, such as finalisation of the town planning procedures and the obtaining of ministerial approval.

The sale is subject to various conditions including paying occupational rent on the date of the signing agreement until the transfer of land is concluded. Occupation rental, which is at 10% of the valuation, translates into N$1.2 million per month. Council said “the finalisation of the town planning and pedestal procedures within a period of two years be a specific suspensive condition”.

The council also warned that the approval of the sale was based on NamUSA’s business proposal to set up a garment manufacturing plant and that “the sale of this land be for the sole purpose of establishing a garment industry and would remain subject to this provision”. NamUSA is also tasked by the council to enter into negotiations with liquidators with regards to buying the buildings on the land.

The new garment manufactures have also been warned against wet processing, which refers to the various washing, dyeing and finishing techniques using water and other liquids that enhance textiles.

Former owners, the Malaysian textile company Ramatex at one point in 2004 got their license withdrawn after municipality found out that the textile factory was polluting Windhoek’s water sources through “wet processing”.

Another condition is that a restrictive condition be registered against the property when transferred. The ball is now in the court of Minister of Regional and Local Government, Charles Namoloh who has to rubber stamp the deal.

Council says the deal will be withdrawn and sold to other parties if NamUSA fails to agree to terms and conditions of the sale within 30 days of council’s decision.

Municipality initially agreed last year to lease out the land but the investors changed their minds opting to buy the land when council refused to give a lease of more than 10 years, which the investor wanted.

Ramatex closed down in 2008, leaving about 7 000 employees without work. NamUSA has, however, indicated that they intend to employ about 20 000 people. Council has also ordered the eviction of the occupiers of Taiwah Building, the other 22-hectare portion of Ramatex, with immediate effect.

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