Hambukushu leader opposes Ngepi Camp liquor licence

THE leader of the Hambukushu Traditional Authority, Chief Ervin Munika Mbambo, wants the liquor licence of Ngepi Camp revoked by the Rundu Magistrate’s Court.

The Hambukushu Traditional Authority in April this year formally launched a court appeal against the decision to renew Ngepi Camp’s special liquor licence.Chief Mbambo argued in his affidavit that the Ngepi Camp owner, Mark Adcock, is an illegal occupant of the land, as he does not have a title deed or leasehold agreement from the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement and from the traditional authority.The Hambukushu leader stated that his traditional authority cancelled the leasehold agreement with the Ngepi Camp owner in 2010.’The reason for cancelling it was because the Ngepi Camp owner breached the agreement when he fenced off a piece of land illegally. We regard that action as illegal and a breach of the agreement,’ Mbambo said in his affidavit.The court hearing of the appeal is scheduled for July 14.Windhoek-based lawyer Norman Tjombe will represent Adcock, while the Hambukushu Traditional Authority will conduct its own defence.Mbambo has been calling for the owner of Ngepi Camp to leave the area since early this year.The camp is situated 210 kilometres southeast of Rundu in the Mukwe constituency of the Kavango Region.The camp’s special liquor licence, which was issued on March 16 this year, enables it to operate from 10h00 to 02h00 from Monday to Saturday, and between 10h00 and 12h00 on Sundays.The liquor licence expires on March 31 next year.People at the nearby Divayi village staged a demonstration in January this year, demanding the immediate closure of Ngepi Camp and the removal of Adcock from their ancestral land.Ngepi Camp provides a campsite and accommodation facilities for tourists visiting the area. – Nampa