Infighting costs Keetmans dearly

KEETMANSHOOP Mayor Simon Petrus Tiboth says infighting in the Town Council is hampering the towns economic growth.

“Local people are suffering as a result of internal bickering within the council,” he told a public meeting on Thursday. It was the first time that Tiboth has publicly acknowledged the continuous bickering in the Town Council.”Several meetings aimed at reconciling councillors and officials who are at loggerheads have been disrupted by councillors who continuously made destructive interruptions that led to chaotic endings of meetings,” the Mayor said angrily.The Council called the public meeting to respond to a recent petition by residents.Two weeks ago residents protested against the lack of development at the town and the municipal charges paid by pensioners.They also called for an independent inquiry into the electrocution of an eight-year-old boy who had been playing on an electricity distribution box.The Southern Electricity Company (SELCo) said the accident was caused by a faulty domestic appliance in a private yard.The residents were not happy with SELCo’s findings.Tiboth said the Council had hired an independent electrician from Windhoek to investigate the incident this week.Speaking at the same meeting, Councillor Moses Titus said there was no money to develop the town since the Town Council was “bankrupt”.According to Titus, the Council has a monthly revenue of N$2 million, more than half of which is spent on salaries.”Restructuring plans aimed at easing the Council’s financial burden also vanished into thin air because of the factional [fighting],” he fumed.He said the monthly NamWater bill amounted to N$800 000, but this did not include the monthly instalment on the N$4 million the Council owes the bulk water supplier.Titus expressed disbelief over the N$1,1 million surplus indicated in the Council’s financial records for the 2005-2006 fiscal year.”Our books show a surplus because most of the debts are not paid,” he said.He said the N$13 000 monthly repayment on the Government loan of N$16 million was “laughable”.”This amount does not even cover the interest accrued on the loan,” he said.Most residents expressed concern over the factional infighting within the Council.Chris Willemse advised the Council to call upon the Minister of Local Government, John Pandeni, to act as a go-between in solving the internal strife.An 82-year-old pensioner, Hulda Groenewaldt, urged the Council to call on the President to write off the N$16 million debt.She also expressed concern over the large amounts pensioners paid for municipal services.”Are we pensioners receiving grants only to pay the water bill, what about our daily needs?” Groenewaldt asked.It was the first time that Tiboth has publicly acknowledged the continuous bickering in the Town Council.”Several meetings aimed at reconciling councillors and officials who are at loggerheads have been disrupted by councillors who continuously made destructive interruptions that led to chaotic endings of meetings,” the Mayor said angrily.The Council called the public meeting to respond to a recent petition by residents.Two weeks ago residents protested against the lack of development at the town and the municipal charges paid by pensioners.They also called for an independent inquiry into the electrocution of an eight-year-old boy who had been playing on an electricity distribution box.The Southern Electricity Company (SELCo) said the accident was caused by a faulty domestic appliance in a private yard.The residents were not happy with SELCo’s findings.Tiboth said the Council had hired an independent electrician from Windhoek to investigate the incident this week.Speaking at the same meeting, Councillor Moses Titus said there was no money to develop the town since the Town Council was “bankrupt”.According to Titus, the Council has a monthly revenue of N$2 million, more than half of which is spent on salaries.”Restructuring plans aimed at easing the Council’s financial burden also vanished into thin air because of the factional [fighting],” he fumed.He said the monthly NamWater bill amounted to N$800 000, but this did not include the monthly instalment on the N$4 million the Council owes the bulk water supplier.Titus expressed disbelief over the N$1,1 million surplus indicated in the Council’s financial records for the 2005-2006 fiscal year.”Our books show a surplus because most of the debts are not paid,” he said.He said the N$13 000 monthly repayment on the Government loan of N$16 million was “laughable”.”This amount does not even cover the interest accrued on the loan,” he said.Most residents expressed concern over the factional infighting within the Council.Chris Willemse advised the Council to call upon the Minister of Local Government, John Pandeni, to act as a go-between in solving the internal strife.An 82-year-old pensioner, Hulda Groenewaldt, urged the Council to call on the President to write off the N$16 million debt.She also expressed concern over the large amounts pensioners paid for municipal services.”Are we pensioners receiving grants only to pay the water bill, what about our daily needs?” Groenewaldt asked.