Karas Governor accused of milking the State

KARAS Governor Dawid Boois is apparently receiving a housing subsidy while staying free of charge in a Government house at Keetmanshoop’s Westdene residential area.

According to a reliable source, Boois receives a whopping N$90 000 a year as housing subsidy, although he has been living rent-free in a Government house since being elected as Governor in 2004. The Government house is allocated to the Ministry of Education.The Namibian has it on good authority that Boois also owns a house (Erf 1411) in the town’s Noordhoek area that was registered in his name earlier this month (title number T8205/2006).According to a source, Boois bought the house some time ago, but could not get the house registered in his name because the previous owner’s municipal bill was in arrears.The source also told The Namibian that Boois was still not paying the water bill for the Government house he has occupied since 2004.A tenant living in a Government house is responsible for paying the water bill and is required to transfer the municipal account to his or her name upon moving into the house, a senior municipal official earlier told The Namibian.The Municipality’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadi, last Monday again acknowledged that the municipality was experiencing problems in getting the water bill transferred to Boois’s name, and confirmed that the account was in arrears.Shangadi refused to elaborate on the matter.When approached for comment, Boois accused the reporter of subjective reporting.”Write whatever you want to write, but remember that there is a God and your day will also come.There are lots of things you [reporter] ought to write, but you’re turning a blind eye to them,” Boois charged.”We know how you left your previous employments with Standard Bank Namibia Ltd and the Southern Sun community newspaper and shall write about you and display it on the doors of the local shops,” he further threatened the reporter.Boois accused the reporter of being on an alleged witch-hunt, as his father had allegedly done during the colonial era.The reporter’s late father served as a Police officer before Independence.When approached by The Namibian on Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Erastus Negonga, said he was not aware of the housing subsidy matter.But he said if it was true that Boois was receiving a housing subsidy while living in a Government house, he was “cheating the government”.”We shall have no alternative but to recover the housing subsidy monies, if it is true that the Governor is receiving a housing subsidy he is not entitled to,” Negonga said.The Government house is allocated to the Ministry of Education.The Namibian has it on good authority that Boois also owns a house (Erf 1411) in the town’s Noordhoek area that was registered in his name earlier this month (title number T8205/2006).According to a source, Boois bought the house some time ago, but could not get the house registered in his name because the previous owner’s municipal bill was in arrears.The source also told The Namibian that Boois was still not paying the water bill for the Government house he has occupied since 2004.A tenant living in a Government house is responsible for paying the water bill and is required to transfer the municipal account to his or her name upon moving into the house, a senior municipal official earlier told The Namibian.The Municipality’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadi, last Monday again acknowledged that the municipality was experiencing problems in getting the water bill transferred to Boois’s name, and confirmed that the account was in arrears.Shangadi refused to elaborate on the matter.When approached for comment, Boois accused the reporter of subjective reporting.”Write whatever you want to write, but remember that there is a God and your day will also come.There are lots of things you [reporter] ought to write, but you’re turning a blind eye to them,” Boois charged.”We know how you left your previous employments with Standard Bank Namibia Ltd and the Southern Sun community newspaper and shall write about you and display it on the doors of the local shops,” he further threatened the reporter.Boois accused the reporter of being on an alleged witch-hunt, as his father had allegedly done during the colonial era.The reporter’s late father served as a Police officer before Independence.When approached by The Namibian on Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Erastus Negonga, said he was not aware of the housing subsidy matter.But he said if it was true that Boois was receiving a housing subsidy while living in a Government house, he was “cheating the government”.”We shall have no alternative but to recover the housing subsidy monies, if it is true that the Governor is receiving a housing subsidy he is not entitled to,” Negonga said.