Illegal occupant evicted from Government house

GOBABIS – A man booted from a Government house on Wednesday has described his eviction as humiliating.

Charles Simataa said the Regional Representative of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication, Emmanuel Matjila, instructed about 30 Police officers to evict him from a house that he had lived in since 1992. According to him, in November last year Matjila instructed him to buy the Terrapin house for N$12 000.According to Matjila, Simataa had been living in the house illegally, as he no longer worked for the Government.He said Simataa resigned from the Ministry of Health in 2004, and was therefore not entitled to stay in the Government house.Matjila said if a tenant resigned from Government, was dismissed or was on study leave for more than six months, such a person would not qualify to buy these houses.He said only Government employees were qualified to live in Government houses.Matjila agreed that the first submission from the treasury valued the Terrapin houses at N$12 000, but it was reduced to N$1 500.Matjila denied that he had sent 30 Police officers to evict Simataa.According to him, they numbered less than 20.He blamed Simataa for politicising the matter with the aim to tarnish his name.Simataa claimed that during the eviction he lost N$5 000, which was stolen from the cash box in his tuck shop, while his music system, valued at N$5 000, was damaged.Matjila said he was present during the eviction, and that Simataa had not complained about any stolen money or any damage to his property to him.Simataa accused Matjila of alleged corruption in the allocation of houses, a charge the official dismissed as “lies”.”I am calling upon the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate this housing allocation scam,” said Simataa.Matjila dismissed the allegations as “blatant lies” .He said he acted according to the procedures of the ministry.Simataa, a father of three children, who lives with his 67-year-old mother, said he invested close to N$6 000 in the maintenance of the house, water and electricity and rental.NampaAccording to him, in November last year Matjila instructed him to buy the Terrapin house for N$12 000.According to Matjila, Simataa had been living in the house illegally, as he no longer worked for the Government.He said Simataa resigned from the Ministry of Health in 2004, and was therefore not entitled to stay in the Government house.Matjila said if a tenant resigned from Government, was dismissed or was on study leave for more than six months, such a person would not qualify to buy these houses.He said only Government employees were qualified to live in Government houses.Matjila agreed that the first submission from the treasury valued the Terrapin houses at N$12 000, but it was reduced to N$1 500.Matjila denied that he had sent 30 Police officers to evict Simataa.According to him, they numbered less than 20.He blamed Simataa for politicising the matter with the aim to tarnish his name.Simataa claimed that during the eviction he lost N$5 000, which was stolen from the cash box in his tuck shop, while his music system, valued at N$5 000, was damaged.Matjila said he was present during the eviction, and that Simataa had not complained about any stolen money or any damage to his property to him.Simataa accused Matjila of alleged corruption in the allocation of houses, a charge the official dismissed as “lies”.”I am calling upon the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate this housing allocation scam,” said Simataa.Matjila dismissed the allegations as “blatant lies” .He said he acted according to the procedures of the ministry.Simataa, a father of three children, who lives with his 67-year-old mother, said he invested close to N$6 000 in the maintenance of the house, water and electricity and rental.Nampa