Stadium squabble in Keetmanshoop

THE Keetmanshoop Municipality has barred the Karas Football Region from hosting any of its league matches at the town’s main stadium until the football committee refunds the fees received from vendor stalls at The Namibian Newspaper Cup over the Easter weekend.

A war of words has erupted, with municipal officials accusing the football bosses of overcharging the vendors, while the latter are accusing the council of holding them hostage. The Chairman of the Karas Football Region, Isak Fredericks, said in his correspondence to the municipality that the Town Council ignored the initial agreement that vendors at the tournament should pay the normal fee as set by the council.The council, in a letter to the football authorities from their chief executive officer Jerry Shangadi, argues that the football committee instead charged higher fees and needed to refund the vendors.Fredericks says the municipality and Shangadi were party to a meeting in which they (with the football committee) decided on the rates that should have been charged.The Namibian Sport understands that there were at least ten stalls that had to pay N$400 each for the four days of the tournament.Shangadi believes that the vendors actually forked out more to the football committee and that the committee should refund them about half of the fees.It is not clear how much the vendors should have paid according to the municipal standards.Shangadi was in a meeting when The Namibian Sport tried to obtain more information regarding the rates.Fredericks accused the council of also having some of its workers as vendors at the tournament.”What happened to that money,” he asked.Meanwhile, the municipality has also barred the Karas Football Region from having any matches at the Mina Sachs Grounds, an alternative venue that the football authorities were eyeing.Shangadi said in a letter to Fredericks that: “Quite frankly, we will not allow this ground (Mina Sachs) to be used for NFA related games.”There are still seven matches to go in the league before the season comes to a close on May 20.The Chairman of the Karas Football Region, Isak Fredericks, said in his correspondence to the municipality that the Town Council ignored the initial agreement that vendors at the tournament should pay the normal fee as set by the council.The council, in a letter to the football authorities from their chief executive officer Jerry Shangadi, argues that the football committee instead charged higher fees and needed to refund the vendors.Fredericks says the municipality and Shangadi were party to a meeting in which they (with the football committee) decided on the rates that should have been charged.The Namibian Sport understands that there were at least ten stalls that had to pay N$400 each for the four days of the tournament.Shangadi believes that the vendors actually forked out more to the football committee and that the committee should refund them about half of the fees.It is not clear how much the vendors should have paid according to the municipal standards.Shangadi was in a meeting when The Namibian Sport tried to obtain more information regarding the rates.Fredericks accused the council of also having some of its workers as vendors at the tournament.”What happened to that money,” he asked.Meanwhile, the municipality has also barred the Karas Football Region from having any matches at the Mina Sachs Grounds, an alternative venue that the football authorities were eyeing.Shangadi said in a letter to Fredericks that: “Quite frankly, we will not allow this ground (Mina Sachs) to be used for NFA related games.”There are still seven matches to go in the league before the season comes to a close on May 20.