Arandis residents want ACC to probe council

A GROUP of Arandis residents have lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged maladministration within the Arandis Town Council.

The Committee of Concerned Residents at Arandis said it had lost confidence in the council’s accountability and lack of vigilance regarding the administration of its finances. According to Rudolf Isaak of the committee, a complaint was filed with the ACC to investigate the council’s record books of 2000-2007.The committee also demanded that the Mayor, Daniel Muhuura, suspend three senior officials.The group said they should be suspended pending investigation by the ACC.They said their grievances, contained in a petition to the Mayor last month, had not been addressed yet.Apart from claims of financial misconduct, the group’s grievances include poor housing conditions, unfair treatment of debtors, a demand for pre-paid water and electricity meters and the termination of contracts with regional power distributor Erongo-RED and Damarec – a local debt collector acting on behalf of the Council.”Whenever the Arandis Town Council has a problem due to arrears, like with NamWater for instance, undue pressure is placed on the residents of the town,” Isaak said.According to the group, the municipality is blaming the community for its debt of millions of dollars, while the community believes that the debts were incurred due to mismanagement and embezzlement.The residents also want answers about the whereabouts of N$700 000 for a local housing scheme, which they claim has “vanished”.”The present situation between the Town Council and the local residents is very tense based on the reasons set out.We are very suspicious about the current financial state of the [council],” Isaak said.”Therefore we resolved to submit our concerns to the ACC with the urgent request that the books of the council be scrutinised.”Isaak told The Namibian that there was no need for the concerned group to offer any proof of their suspicions.He said it was up to the Mayor to prove their suspicions wrong by means of an independent audit.The Namibian tried to contact Mayor Muhuura for comment but he was not available.According to Rudolf Isaak of the committee, a complaint was filed with the ACC to investigate the council’s record books of 2000-2007.The committee also demanded that the Mayor, Daniel Muhuura, suspend three senior officials.The group said they should be suspended pending investigation by the ACC.They said their grievances, contained in a petition to the Mayor last month, had not been addressed yet.Apart from claims of financial misconduct, the group’s grievances include poor housing conditions, unfair treatment of debtors, a demand for pre-paid water and electricity meters and the termination of contracts with regional power distributor Erongo-RED and Damarec – a local debt collector acting on behalf of the Council.”Whenever the Arandis Town Council has a problem due to arrears, like with NamWater for instance, undue pressure is placed on the residents of the town,” Isaak said.According to the group, the municipality is blaming the community for its debt of millions of dollars, while the community believes that the debts were incurred due to mismanagement and embezzlement.The residents also want answers about the whereabouts of N$700 000 for a local housing scheme, which they claim has “vanished”.”The present situation between the Town Council and the local residents is very tense based on the reasons set out.We are very suspicious about the current financial state of the [council],” Isaak said.”Therefore we resolved to submit our concerns to the ACC with the urgent request that the books of the council be scrutinised.”Isaak told The Namibian that there was no need for the concerned group to offer any proof of their suspicions.He said it was up to the Mayor to prove their suspicions wrong by means of an independent audit.The Namibian tried to contact Mayor Muhuura for comment but he was not available.