Keetmans councillor plays the race card

KEETMANSHOOP town councillor Arnold Losper sparked outrage by making allegedly racist comments at a community meeting at the southern town last week.

Addressing residents of Keetmanshoop’s Westdene suburb on Thursday, Losper accused white people of failing to support socio-economic developments initiated by blacks. “What I’m about to say might be sensitive to some residents, but I need to say it,” Losper remarked.”Whites do not support initiatives blacks embark upon,” he alleged.Losper also accused white teenagers of disturbing the peace at night in the town’s Kroenlein residential area, where most black townspeople live.The teenagers regularly raced their quad bikes in an open space near a local nightclub, he claimed.His remarks followed complaints by Westdene residents over noise pollution in their suburb caused by speeding cars with blaring sound systems.Businessman Ingo Klitzke condemned Losper’s comments.”It was a poor performance on the part of Losper, therefore I strongly reject his racially based statements,” Klitzke said angrily.”We did not come to this meeting to hear racial remarks, but instead came here to find solutions to challenges our town faces,” said another resident, Frikkie Mouton.To ease the tension created by Losper’s outburst, Mayor Finna Elago warned residents that she would not condone any further racial statements.”Any racial remark is against the Constitution of this country,” Elago said.But only a few minutes later, another response from Losper led to most of the white people in attendance walking out of the meeting.This followed a question raised by Rhyno Koberzig on when councillor Basil Brown would vacate a municipal plot after his lease agreement had expired.Losper responded to Koberzig’s question by reading from an NID booklet about the affirmative action policy.”Now that Basil Brown must vacate the municipal plot, it has become a political issue,” Koberzig shouted before joining the walkout.”What I’m about to say might be sensitive to some residents, but I need to say it,” Losper remarked.”Whites do not support initiatives blacks embark upon,” he alleged.Losper also accused white teenagers of disturbing the peace at night in the town’s Kroenlein residential area, where most black townspeople live.The teenagers regularly raced their quad bikes in an open space near a local nightclub, he claimed.His remarks followed complaints by Westdene residents over noise pollution in their suburb caused by speeding cars with blaring sound systems.Businessman Ingo Klitzke condemned Losper’s comments.”It was a poor performance on the part of Losper, therefore I strongly reject his racially based statements,” Klitzke said angrily.”We did not come to this meeting to hear racial remarks, but instead came here to find solutions to challenges our town faces,” said another resident, Frikkie Mouton.To ease the tension created by Losper’s outburst, Mayor Finna Elago warned residents that she would not condone any further racial statements.”Any racial remark is against the Constitution of this country,” Elago said.But only a few minutes later, another response from Losper led to most of the white people in attendance walking out of the meeting.This followed a question raised by Rhyno Koberzig on when councillor Basil Brown would vacate a municipal plot after his lease agreement had expired.Losper responded to Koberzig’s question by reading from an NID booklet about the affirmative action policy.”Now that Basil Brown must vacate the municipal plot, it has become a political issue,” Koberzig shouted before joining the walkout.