OMARURU’S Town Council sold prime land the size of three soccer fields for a mere N$2 750.
The sale is among an intriguing web of dodgy deals which has resulted in residents of this sleepy north-western town accusing their councillors and town administrators of a lack of transparency. A two-week investigation has led The Namibian to a connection of business and political interests associated with one businessman as the common denominator.The plot, in the central business district, was sold to an obscure company called Erundu Investment, according to the Registrar of Deeds.Businessman Michael Goagoseb is involved with the company and a wide range of other business interests, including the fishing industry.Goagoseb is listed as a director in the firm, together with Manfred Wilhelm Namaseb – whose name was prominent in the Social Security Commission’s dubious investment deals – and a certain David Mbako-Karingombe.* Goagoseb also bought an 808 hectare game park with an assortment of game for N$48 500 – 10 times less than what he resold it for, at approximately N$485 000, without any development. He sold the game park to Herbert Ludwig Kempkes, an Omaruru-based German businessman dealing in tombstones. Kempkes has shares in Namibia Stone Processing, one of the eagerly-awaited investments in the job-starved town.* Goagoseb is a director of Namibia Stone Processing, a semi-precious stone factory.* The Omaruru Municipality donated land to Namibia Stone Processing as an investment attraction move, a decision that appears to have widespread support from the residents of the town.* The Chairman of the Council’s Management Committee, Gruzi Goseb, and Chief Executive Officer Johannes Xoagub were at the forefront of luring the investment to their town on behalf of the council.* Goagoseb served on the Namibia Development Fund, a Government-owned development agency, when it gave Xoagub a loan of more than N$650 000 for private business.Goagoseb said yesterday the municipality offered to sell the plot at N$2 750 after his company had explained that it wanted to build a shopping mall that would attract major tenants in anticipation of a silicon mine near the town.The mining investment plans fell through.”I can tell you that we will not develop that erf if we are not assured of anchor tenants.But we are still pursuing that possibility.As of now, we are paying rates and taxes to the municipality,” said Goagoseb.Xoagub this week declined to comment on a range of questions sent to them.Goagoseb claimed questions sent to him “seem like a personal witchhunt”.Omaruru Mayor Michael Tjirare said the municipality would discuss the questions when it meets within two weeks.Goseb said he would respond later to what he alleged were “factual” errors in the news reports.Goseb, who is a long-serving councillor, and who was involved in most of the suspect decisions, questioned the motives of people who were now demanding transparency from the municipality.He accused the ‘Omaruru Development Concerned Group’ of being a group of white people unhappy that blacks were now running the town.Members of the Omaruru Development Concerned Group have dismissed Goseb’s accusations out of hand.Erundu Investment bought the 1,6-hectare plot on the main street of Omaruru in July 2001.An estate agent in Omaruru said the same plot would have ordinarily fetched between N$30 000 to N$40 000.Namaseb, one of the directors, yesterday appeared in the dark about the name of the company and said he knew nothing about the Omaruru plot.Goagoseb confirmed that Namaseb was not aware of the property.The Namibian was unable to trace Erundu Investment’s offices.Records at the Registrar of Companies indicate that no financial statements have been filed for three years between 1999 and 2001.Accounting and audit firm BDO Spencer Steward resigned as company secretary.Deloitte and Touche, whom Goagoseb said were company secretary, said they did not have Erundu Investment on their books.A two-week investigation has led The Namibian to a connection of business and political interests associated with one businessman as the common denominator.The plot, in the central business district, was sold to an obscure company called Erundu Investment, according to the Registrar of Deeds.Businessman Michael Goagoseb is involved with the company and a wide range of other business interests, including the fishing industry.Goagoseb is listed as a director in the firm, together with Manfred Wilhelm Namaseb – whose name was prominent in the Social Security Commission’s dubious investment deals – and a certain David Mbako-Karingombe.* Goagoseb also bought an 808 hectare game park with an assortment of game for N$48 500 – 10 times less than what he resold it for, at approximately N$485 000, without any development. He sold the game park to Herbert Ludwig Kempkes, an Omaruru-based German businessman dealing in tombstones. Kempkes has shares in Namibia Stone Processing, one of the eagerly-awaited investments in the job-starved town.* Goagoseb is a director of Namibia Stone Processing, a semi-precious stone factory.* The Omaruru Municipality donated land to Namibia Stone Processing as an investment attraction move, a decision that appears to have widespread support from the residents of the town.* The Chairman of the Council’s Management Committee, Gruzi Goseb, and Chief Executive Officer Johannes Xoagub were at the forefront of luring the investment to their town on behalf of the council.* Goagoseb served on the Namibia Development Fund, a Government-owned development agency, when it gave Xoagub a loan of more than N$650 000 for private business.Goagoseb said yesterday the municipality offered to sell the plot at N$2 750 after his company had explained that it wanted to build a shopping mall that would attract major tenants in anticipation of a silicon mine near the town.The mining investment plans fell through.”I can tell you that we will not develop that erf if we are not assured of anchor tenants.But we are still pursuing that possibility.As of now, we are paying rates and taxes to the municipality,” said Goagoseb.Xoagub this week declined to comment on a range of questions sent to them.Goagoseb claimed questions sent to him “seem like a personal witchhunt”.Omaruru Mayor Michael Tjirare said the municipality would discuss the questions when it meets within two weeks.Goseb said he would respond later to what he alleged were “factual” errors in the news reports.Goseb, who is a long-serving councillor, and who was involved in most of the suspect decisions, questioned the motives of people who were now demanding transparency from the municipality.He accused the ‘Omaruru Development Concerned Group’ of being a group of white people unhappy that blacks were now running the town.Members of the Omaruru Development Concerned Group have dismissed Goseb’s accusations out of hand.Erundu Investment bought the 1,6-hectare plot on the main street of Omaruru in July 2001.An estate agent in Omaruru said the same plot would have ordinarily fetched between N$30 000 to N$40 000.Namaseb, one of the directors, yesterday appeared in the dark about the name of the company and said he knew nothing about the Omaruru plot.Goagoseb confirmed that Namaseb was not aware of the property.The Namibian was unable to trace Erundu Investment’s offices.Records at the Registrar of Companies indicate that no financial statements have been filed for three years between 1999 and 2001.Accounting and audit firm BDO Spencer Steward resigned as company secretary.Deloitte and Touche, whom Goagoseb said were company secretary, said they did not have Erundu Investment on their books.
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