Police called as movie extras demand money

THE Police were called in yesterday to try and calm down an angry crowd of more than 100 movie extras at Swakopmund.

Another chapter of discontent in the controversial Nujoma movie, ‘Where Others Wavered’, played out at the Municipal bungalows when there was no money to pay the extras as promised. The people, mostly from the DRC informal settlement, became restless after waiting two hours for their pay of N$100 a day.When the crowd inside the pay office grew bigger and people started pushing over desks, the Police were called.A seasoned extra who has taken part in most movies shot at Swakop­mund over the years, said this was the worst set he had worked on.”Why do we have to fight to get our money?” He said they had worked very long hours and had only been given lunch.As the extras were pushed outside, many demanded angrily: “We need our money.”One man wanted to know why they could not pay the extras after millions in taxpayers’ money had been given to the movie.Elisabeth Gaes from the DRC said if they had been told from the outset that there would be no money, nobody would have taken part.Abius Akwaaki, the Producer, eventually came out and promised the extras they would be paid today.An arrangement was made that there would be a pay point at the DRC Police station at 10h00 and another one at the Mondesa Police station at 12h00.”We have to lock this man [Akwaaki] up in the Police cell tonight,” said Gaes.”How do we know he is still going to be here tomorrow?” Some of the approximately 25 children said they had taken a taxi from the DRC on credit to get their money.”We cannot bunk school again tomorrow.How will we get our money?” asked Renate Joseph.The Police and Traffic Police herded the angry crowd out of the grounds of the bungalows as the noise was creating disturbance.Many of the people refused to go home.They said they would not leave without their money.Akwaaki tried to assure them he was not going anywhere and would not leave Swakopmund until they had been paid.He told The Namibian that he had already requested the money on Friday, but by yesterday it had not come through.”I spoke to Windhoek myself and they confirmed it would be here on Tuesday.”He again said they still had to pay suppliers at both coastal towns and would not leave until all bills had been settled.The last scenes at the coast were shot at the DRC over the weekend.The people, mostly from the DRC informal settlement, became restless after waiting two hours for their pay of N$100 a day.When the crowd inside the pay office grew bigger and people started pushing over desks, the Police were called.A seasoned extra who has taken part in most movies shot at Swakop­mund over the years, said this was the worst set he had worked on.”Why do we have to fight to get our money?” He said they had worked very long hours and had only been given lunch.As the extras were pushed outside, many demanded angrily: “We need our money.”One man wanted to know why they could not pay the extras after millions in taxpayers’ money had been given to the movie.Elisabeth Gaes from the DRC said if they had been told from the outset that there would be no money, nobody would have taken part.Abius Akwaaki, the Producer, eventually came out and promised the extras they would be paid today.An arrangement was made that there would be a pay point at the DRC Police station at 10h00 and another one at the Mondesa Police station at 12h00.”We have to lock this man [Akwaaki] up in the Police cell tonight,” said Gaes.”How do we know he is still going to be here tomorrow?” Some of the approximately 25 children said they had taken a taxi from the DRC on credit to get their money.”We cannot bunk school again tomorrow.How will we get our money?” asked Renate Joseph. The Police and Traffic Police herded the angry crowd out of the grounds of the bungalows as the noise was creating disturbance.Many of the people refused to go home.They said they would not leave without their money.Akwaaki tried to assure them he was not going anywhere and would not leave Swakopmund until they had been paid.He told The Namibian that he had already requested the money on Friday, but by yesterday it had not come through.”I spoke to Windhoek myself and they confirmed it would be here on Tuesday.”He again said they still had to pay suppliers at both coastal towns and would not leave until all bills had been settled.The last scenes at the coast were shot at the DRC over the weekend.