ONDANGWA – The secretary of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) in Ondangwa has called on members to boycott the Ondangwa Trade Fair set for next month.
The branch distanced itself from the event at a press conference on Wednesday.The NCCI is following in the footsteps of the Ondangwa Town Council, which also distanced itself from the December trade fair recently.The source of both entities’ dissatisfaction is the privately organised Ondangwa Trade Fair, which is set to take place from December 13 to 17, while the Ondangwa Town Council already held its Ondangwa Industrial and Trade Exhibition from in June.Next month’s trade fair is being organised by a closed corporation spearheaded by former Ondangwa mayor Priscilla Kauna Nashandi, known as Ondangwa Trade Fair cc.It will be the second time that Nashandi, who is still part of the Ondangwa Town Council as a Swapo Party member, hosts a trade fair. She hosted the first one in 2006 while she was still mayor of the town.Allegations were made Wednesday’s that Nashandi took advantage of her position as mayor by using town council staff and equipment to organise ‘her’ trade fair.Banda Shilimela, secretary of the NCCI Ondangwa branch, said other members of the town council and officials only distanced themselves from the Ondangwa Trade Fair when Nashandi announced immediately after the trade fair in 2006 that it was a private trade fair.According to Shilimela, Nashandi announced at the time that since Ondangwa Trade Fair cc is privately-owned, the town council will have to pay if it wants to participate in the fair.He said she only made the announcement after thousands of dollars had already been generated from the 2006 trade fair, and after a number of business personalities and town council officials had made huge financial and material contributions.He said the Ondangwa business community has also requested the NCCI executive to approach the Ondangwa Trade Fair cc urgently to refund their money, which they feel was acquired through ‘dubious means’ during the 2006 trade fair.’The NCCI Ondangwa Branch is calling on the whole business community to desist from participating and donating their resources towards these trade fair activities, which enjoy no blessing of the town council or that of the local NCCI leaders,’ Shilimela said.Nashandi declined to comment when Nampa approached her after the media conference. – Nampa
