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Councillor under fire over land lease

Councillor under fire over land lease

TENSION is brewing between the Keetmanshoop Municipality’s tender board and councillor Basil Brown over a leasehold dispute.

The row erupted after the tender board gave Brown until September 30 to vacate a 600-hectare plot of town land that he leases from the Town Council for N$200 a month. Brown was served with an eviction notice after his lease agreement with the Council, entered into last year, had expired, The Namibian has established.A reliable source informed The Namibian that Brown, who serves as the Council’s management committee chairperson, refused to vacate the town land.According to the source, Council is losing a lot of money because of Brown’s refusal to vacate the land, for which another leaseholder has been found who is willing to pay rent of N$1 100 a month.The Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadhi, who also serves as the tender board chairman, confirmed the dispute but declined to give more detail.”Yes, we are experiencing problems with some leaseholders, but it’s being treated as an internal issue,” Shangadhi said.When approached for comment, Brown accused the tender board of failing to operate within its jurisdiction.”The tender board wants to take over Council responsibilities, and therefore must be called to order,” Brown said.Brown also claimed that a number of tender irregularities had been brought to his attention.”Soon some of the tender board members will be brought to book, I just need some time,” Brown said.Brown vowed that he would not vacate the town land unless ordered to do so by the Council.The councillor, a teacher by profession and also a businessman, said the move to evict him from the town land was politically motivated.Brown claimed the tender board had put out tenders left and right without any Council resolution.”Those serving on the board have no knowledge of affirmative action and land distribution, because they want to put back the land in the hands of those who enjoyed land occupation in the colonial era,” he said.The Namibian has also learnt that councillor Arnold Losper has been allocated a plot of town land, but is allegedly sub-letting it to another farmer who pays the monthly rent of N$3 800.According to the source, the farmer has admitted that his livestock are grazing on the town land leased by Losper.Brown was served with an eviction notice after his lease agreement with the Council, entered into last year, had expired, The Namibian has established.A reliable source informed The Namibian that Brown, who serves as the Council’s management committee chairperson, refused to vacate the town land.According to the source, Council is losing a lot of money because of Brown’s refusal to vacate the land, for which another leaseholder has been found who is willing to pay rent of N$1 100 a month.The Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadhi, who also serves as the tender board chairman, confirmed the dispute but declined to give more detail. “Yes, we are experiencing problems with some leaseholders, but it’s being treated as an internal issue,” Shangadhi said.When approached for comment, Brown accused the tender board of failing to operate within its jurisdiction.”The tender board wants to take over Council responsibilities, and therefore must be called to order,” Brown said.Brown also claimed that a number of tender irregularities had been brought to his attention.”Soon some of the tender board members will be brought to book, I just need some time,” Brown said.Brown vowed that he would not vacate the town land unless ordered to do so by the Council.The councillor, a teacher by profession and also a businessman, said the move to evict him from the town land was politically motivated.Brown claimed the tender board had put out tenders left and right without any Council resolution.”Those serving on the board have no knowledge of affirmative action and land distribution, because they want to put back the land in the hands of those who enjoyed land occupation in the colonial era,” he said.The Namibian has also learnt that councillor Arnold Losper has been allocated a plot of town land, but is allegedly sub-letting it to another farmer who pays the monthly rent of N$3 800.According to the source, the farmer has admitted that his livestock are grazing on the town land leased by Losper.

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