Kombat is state land

KOMBAT, the settlement that businessman Knowledge Katti claims ownership of and has offered to sell to the government for N$160 million, already belongs to the state.

A Government Gazette of 16 August 2006 declares that Kombat, which lies between Otavi and Grootfontein in the central north of Namibia, is a settlement under the control of the Otjozondjupa Regional Council. The declaration was done in line with the Regional Councils Act of 1992.

The Namibian has established that the late Otjozondjupa governor, Theophilus Eiseb, first issued the declaration on 20 July 2006.

Ironically, current governor Otto Iipinge has urged the Namibian government to pay Katti his asking price of N$160 million for Kombat.

It is not clear how Katti acquired the town despite the law stating the contrary or whether the rights have been transferred to him through the state’s registration of land ownership – the Registrar of Deeds. A search at the deeds office yesterday revealed that Kombat was not registered under Katti’s name or his company Havana Investments.

Katti’s lawyer Elia Shikongo did not respond to emails sent to him yesterday.

He had, however, pointed out two weeks ago that his client has shares in the mine and owns the town.

In normal circumstances areas declared a settlement belong to government and it becomes government’s responsibility to provide the inhabitants of the settlement with basic services.

The Namibian understands that the Kombat townlands, including the residential area were covered under the declaration but not the mine itself.

This means that the town, which is under the jurisdiction of Otjozondjupa Regional Council, is owned by the government.

Iipinge appears to be confused and ignorant of the government’s jurisdiction on Kombat.

Two weeks ago he told The Namibian that he has no idea about the sale of Kombat to government. A week later Iipinge changed his story and was quoted by the Windhoek Observer as saying he was the one who proposed that government buy the town to “prevent it from going again into the hands of foreigners”.

He told the Observer that Katti approached him and also came up with the N$160 million price.

Iipinge has since been unavailable and did not respond to several messages left at his office since Monday to clarify his seemingly confused stance on the sale.

The Namibian reported that Katti had bought the mine, including the town for N$50 million. But Kombat Copper denied the figure saying it was a nominal amount (usually as low as N$1) without stating the exact number.

Katti’s lawyer Shikongo had insisted that government had in actual fact offered to purchase the town and not that Katti had approached the state. The information of the ownership is contained in Government Gazette number 3679 published on 15 August 2006, notice number 119.

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