Mbok refunds some clients, pushes on with defamation suit

DIGNITY Housing Initiative has started refunding some clients who applied directly to the company for new low-cost houses.

The owner of Dignity Housing, Antoine ‘Tony’ Mbok, told The Namibian yesterday that they had refunded most of the clients who claimed the money back after a delay in the construction of the houses. Residents from poorer suburbs in Katutura paid around N$5 250 each as deposits on low-cost houses they were promised, but the project fell through.However, Mbok made it clear yesterday that his company would not refund those clients who applied for houses through estate agents such as Helena Mandevhu and Pam Golding, because he did not receive the money from them.”All contracts we signed with the clients, we will refund.In fact most of those who applied directly from us received their money back already.But those who applied through estate agents must get it from them,” Mbok said.Mbok also confirmed that he was going ahead suing Housing Minister John Pandeni and the Namibian Government (as second respondent) for defamation.He gave Pandeni an ultimatum last week to withdraw an earlier statement, in which his transactions with poor residents of Katutura were referred to as “tantamount to crimes against humanity”.By yesterday, Mbok had not received any retraction from Pandeni or Government.Pandeni said he never made any statement to defame Mbok, neither was he ever interviewed by Informanté newspaper.The weekly newspaper quoted Pandeni as stating that Mbok had committed crimes against humanity by taking money away from the poor with empty promises.”I was not interviewed by anyone.I don’t know him (Mbok) and I don’t know his organisation.He must ask Informanté to find out who they spoke to.I never gave any interview to Informanté,” Pandeni told The Namibian.Mbok said he would only rest when Pandeni had apologised.”We are preparing a summons.He wants to run away from responsibility.He must explain himself in a few days,” Mbok said.Mbok said he was willing to let go of Pandeni if he made a public apology.According to Mbok, Pandeni had taken away his humanity and put him in the same league as the likes of Adolf Hitler, Slobodan Milosevic, Saddam Hussein and the authors of the Rwandan genocide.He claims that the impact of Pandeni’s statements was such that newspapers in Cameroon – the country of his birth – rewrote the article in which the comments were published and about half a dozen websites posted the story.He said the Minister’s comments were carried in newspapers in five countries – Cameroon, South Africa, Germany, the United Kingdom and Angola.He said Pandeni’s comments were “extremely damaging” to Dignity Housing Initiative and to his family in the United States and Cameroon.He said Dignity Housing Initiative had lodged a formal complaint against Pandeni with the Office of the Prime Minister and the Parliamentary standing committee on human resources with the aim of having the Namibian Government distance itself from his statement.Residents from poorer suburbs in Katutura paid around N$5 250 each as deposits on low-cost houses they were promised, but the project fell through.However, Mbok made it clear yesterday that his company would not refund those clients who applied for houses through estate agents such as Helena Mandevhu and Pam Golding, because he did not receive the money from them.”All contracts we signed with the clients, we will refund.In fact most of those who applied directly from us received their money back already.But those who applied through estate agents must get it from them,” Mbok said.Mbok also confirmed that he was going ahead suing Housing Minister John Pandeni and the Namibian Government (as second respondent) for defamation.He gave Pandeni an ultimatum last week to withdraw an earlier statement, in which his transactions with poor residents of Katutura were referred to as “tantamount to crimes against humanity”.By yesterday, Mbok had not received any retraction from Pandeni or Government.Pandeni said he never made any statement to defame Mbok, neither was he ever interviewed by Informanté newspaper.The weekly newspaper quoted Pandeni as stating that Mbok had committed crimes against humanity by taking money away from the poor with empty promises.”I was not interviewed by anyone.I don’t know him (Mbok) and I don’t know his organisation.He must ask Informanté to find out who they spoke to.I never gave any interview to Informanté,” Pandeni told The Namibian.Mbok said he would only rest when Pandeni had apologised.”We are preparing a summons.He wants to run away from responsibility.He must explain himself in a few days,” Mbok said.Mbok said he was willing to let go of Pandeni if he made a public apology.According to Mbok, Pandeni had taken away his humanity and put him in the same league as the likes of Adolf Hitler, Slobodan Milosevic, Saddam Hussein and the authors of the Rwandan genocide.He claims that the impact of Pandeni’s statements was such that newspapers in Cameroon – the country of his birth – rewrote the article in which the comments were published and about half a dozen websites posted the story.He said the Minister’s comments were carried in newspapers in five countries – Cameroon, South Africa, Germany, the United Kingdom and Angola.He said Pandeni’s comments were “extremely damaging” to Dignity Housing Initiative and to his family in the United States and Cameroon.He said Dignity Housing Initiative had lodged a formal complaint against Pandeni with the Office of the Prime Minister and the Parliamentary standing committee on human resources with the aim of having the Namibian Government distance itself from his statement.