On The Keetmanshoop Deficit

I HAVE been watching with keen interest the reporting on the state of affairs in Keetmanshoop Municipal Council.

The reports are in most cases factual but lack important information known to the writer and which he failed to mention. I therefore wish to enlighten your newspaper and the Namibian people on the real issues, without wasting time on the ‘I said, you said’ sensational stories.The truth is that the Keetmanshoop Municipality is bankrupt.We pay a lousy N$13 000,00 on a debt of N$16 million; N$100 000,00 on a debt of N$4 million plus.Our expenditures are more than our total income.I have in my possession a summary of the financial state of affairs (from July 2006 to January 2007) of Council that shows a deficit of N$1 054 373,68.The reason why we had a surplus of N$1,1 million for the financial year 2005/2005 was because we withdrew, in January 2006, N$1 542 612,98 from our investment from Old Mutual to bring relief to the unpaid accounts.It has been reported that Council should ask Government to write off the N$16 million we owe.I do not agree for the following reasons: We will only save N$13 000 because this is what we pay on the arrear account.We will again have to go back to the same source for a loan to put us back to square one.Keetmanshoop has an unfortunate history then and now and mismanagement (in addition to misappropriation) should be added to the cause of this.I want this Council to bring remedy to the fundamentals of mismanagement and to prove to our PS, Minister and Government the financial maturity of the Council.Only ten can we take the risk of the expansion of our ideologies.The very same staff that have run this institution to ‘doom’ are still working with the Council.At the same time I acknowledge the contribution of those hardworking and committed staff members who were never given opportunity to prove themselves.How can you expect any change or development when the Local Authorities Act, policies, laws and procedures are ignored, when you appoint unskilled or unqualified people in important positions like finance and properties, when you sit with a leader who has interests in various businesses that deal with the Council? Can you really appoint a leader who has a divided interest, and who knowingly appointed a staff member who stole from the same Council and was found guilty in a court of law? When you sit with councillors who protect their business interests? Council has approved and awarded tenders for the lease of our camps to new leaseholder under a new camps policy that could have improved income generation.It is almost two years since the new leaseholders received their approval, but the decision is not effected because a Councillor has an interest in a camp.The same Councillor is still fighting a decision of the Council on Section 76(a) of the Act (rates and taxes on unimproved rateable properties) because he has a rateable property that has been unimproved for years! I have proposed in Council that shebeens and small businesses pay rates and taxes equal to a normal residence and registered business – again rejected because a Councillor has an interest in a shebeen.Council is also silent on the reported fact that the CEO drove from his residence to Cir Coleman’s house where he, in the presence of witnesses, threatened to kill me and Mr Rooi, and other threats I have received.I think something must be seriously wrong in Keetmanshoop to drive people to this extent.Although I might sound pessimistic, I still believe that this Council has the capabilities to rescue this town.M T Titus KeetmanshoopI therefore wish to enlighten your newspaper and the Namibian people on the real issues, without wasting time on the ‘I said, you said’ sensational stories.The truth is that the Keetmanshoop Municipality is bankrupt.We pay a lousy N$13 000,00 on a debt of N$16 million; N$100 000,00 on a debt of N$4 million plus.Our expenditures are more than our total income.I have in my possession a summary of the financial state of affairs (from July 2006 to January 2007) of Council that shows a deficit of N$1 054 373,68.The reason why we had a surplus of N$1,1 million for the financial year 2005/2005 was because we withdrew, in January 2006, N$1 542 612,98 from our investment from Old Mutual to bring relief to the unpaid accounts.It has been reported that Council should ask Government to write off the N$16 million we owe.I do not agree for the following reasons: We will only save N$13 000 because this is what we pay on the arrear account.We will again have to go back to the same source for a loan to put us back to square one.Keetmanshoop has an unfortunate history then and now and mismanagement (in addition to misappropriation) should be added to the cause of this.I want this Council to bring remedy to the fundamentals of mismanagement and to prove to our PS, Minister and Government the financial maturity of the Council.Only ten can we take the risk of the expansion of our ideologies.The very same staff that have run this institution to ‘doom’ are still working with the Council.At the same time I acknowledge the contribution of those hardworking and committed staff members who were never given opportunity to prove themselves.How can you expect any change or development when the Local Authorities Act, policies, laws and procedures are ignored, when you appoint unskilled or unqualified people in important positions like finance and properties, when you sit with a leader who has interests in various businesses that deal with the Council? Can you really appoint a leader who has a divided interest, and who knowingly appointed a staff member who stole from the same Council and was found guilty in a court of law? When you sit with councillors who protect their business interests? Council has approved and awarded tenders for the lease of our camps to new leaseholder under a new camps policy that could have improved income generation.It is almost two years since the new leaseholders received their approval, but the decision is not effected because a Councillor has an interest in a camp.The same Councillor is still fighting a decision of the Council on Section 76(a) of the Act (rates and taxes on unimproved rateable properties) because he has a rateable property that has been unimproved for years! I have proposed in Council that shebeens and small businesses pay rates and taxes equal to a normal residence and registered business – again rejected because a Councillor has an interest in a shebeen.Council is also silent on the reported fact that the CEO drove from his residence to Cir Coleman’s house where he, in the presence of witnesses, threatened to kill me and Mr Rooi, and other threats I have received.I think something must be seriously wrong in Keetmanshoop to drive people to this extent.Although I might sound pessimistic, I still believe that this Council has the capabilities to rescue this town.M T Titus Keetmanshoop