FORMER President Sam Nujoma has been living in an N$8 million house in Windhoek owned by well-known business people Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun and her husband Haddis.
Nujoma has been living at the house since 2015 when government started renovating his house on the outskirts of Windhoek along the Hosea Kutako International Airport road.
His neighbour, President Hage Geingob, has his house just a few blocks away.
Initially, government wanted to upgrade the security system at Nujoma’s house, but decided later to build a modern structure for over N$20 million instead.
The government then offered Nujoma another house along Olof Palme Street in Eros Park, and the renovations were scheduled to be completed by November 2015.
Since his house on the outskirts of Windhoek was being built and the one on Olof Palme Street was undergoing renovations, Nujoma found himself with no place to stay in the city.
That was when Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun stepped in and bought the Klein Windhoek house to accommodate Nujoma until his house had been completed.
Documents from the land reform ministry’s Deeds Office show that Namundjebo-Tilahun and her husband bought the luxury house on 3 August 2015 for over N$8 million.
The house is on a 1 000 square metre plot, and was officially transferred from previous owner Wilson Fernando Gois Jorge to the Tilahuns on 15 December 2015.
The Tilahuns own United Africa Group, a company also known as ‘Lords of the CBD’ of Windhoek because of their property empire along Independence Avenue in the city centre such as the Hilton Hotel, First City Centre and Talas Building, Gutenberg Platz, Winco, Gutenberg Plaza, Capital Centre and Independence Building.
Nujoma moved into the Tilahun house around October 2015, and lives there whenever he is in Windhoek. A booth for officers from the police protection unit stands outside the house.
understands that officials from the Presidency tried to wrestle Nujoma from the Klein Windhoek house, but failed on two occasions.
On the first occasion, sources said they approached Nujoma in early 2016 and asked him to move into the Eros State House. But he refused because he did not want to change homes again since he had just moved into the Tilahun house.
According to the sources, the Presidency then tried to whisk Nujoma away from Klein Windhoek by offering him accommodation at State House in Auasblick, but he once again turned the offer down.
The state appears to have wasted millions of dollars in renovating the presidential guesthouse in Eros to accommodate Nujoma as he snubbed their offer later.
Government officials said the state is, however, paying Nujoma’s electricity and water bills at the Tilahun house.
Efforts to get comment from Namundjebo-Tilahun were not successful as she was unreachable.
Those close to her said she helped Nujoma because she regards him as a father, and did not want to see him “stranded”.
Namundjebo-Tilahun has in the past built Nujoma’s house at his farm at Etunda, about 30 kilometres south of Otavi.
Nujoma’s personal assistant, John Nauta, declined to comment this week, saying the works ministry is better placed to respond to questions.
News about Nujoma’s decision to stay at a house owned by businesspeople flies in the face of government that claimed it is taking care of the Founding President.
Permanent secretary in the Office of the President Samuel/Goagoseb claimed yesterday that Nujoma is staying “under government care”.
asked /Goagoseb whether he is aware that he might be misleading the public by saying Nujoma is under government care while he is accommodated at a house owned by a business couple.
“Obviously, the government will take care of him, wherever he is. The exact location (of the current house) is not for public consumption,” he said.
/Goagoseb said in a statement last Friday that “there is accommodation in Windhoek where the Founding President may stay”.
Questioned to name the location of that accommodation in Windhoek, /Goagoseb declined to comment. “I am not going to provide further details,” he said.
/Goagoseb declined to comment on whether government had wasted state money on the Eros house which is not being occupied by Nujoma, as anticipated.
/Goagoseb also refused to comment on whether President Hage Geingob had offered Nujoma accommodation at State House. “I don’t know what they spoke about. It remains between the two,” he said.
The State House permanent secretary said the Presidency will look after former Presidents.
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