Namibia: Oshakati Small Enterprise Homeowners Left Stranded

About 20 homeowners of small companies at Oshakati say they’ve been left with out an earnings after the Oshakati City Council allegedly bought the property the place they used to function their companies.

Council resolutions from the Oshakati City Council present that the council resolved to promote the property measuring 2 094 sq. metres to an entity referred to as Multiliver Property Growth CC for N$2,7 million in November 2022.

The choice was taken six months after the small enterprise homeowners have been allegedly instructed to vacate the plot often called erf 254, as a result of the city council allegedly wished to develop it.

The council reportedly instructed them it wished to construct an incubation centre.

The small enterprise homeowners say they have been additionally instructed to demolish their constructions and vacate the plot on the time.

In line with the decision, Multiliver Property Growth CC wished to assemble a state-of-the-art growth on prime of a four-storey constructing.

“The event will embody a socio-cultural centre, a refreshing inexperienced house, a contemporary interactive hub, workplace house and storage amenities, workspace, and a big restaurant on the prime of the constructing,” the city council mentioned in its decision.

The small enterprise homeowners at the moment are accusing the council of deceptive them once they instructed them to vacate the plot.

Isak Elishi (67), one of many enterprise folks left stranded, says he established his bar and restaurant on the plot in 1983.

He says the venue concerned a neighborhood corridor that was deserted by the colonial regime’s works ministry.

“Paulus Wahengo and I renovated the constructing from 1982 to 1983. We began our enterprise there in the direction of the top of 1983,” he says.

Elishi says he had knowledgeable the city council that he supposed to purchase the plot, however this was not pursued additional.

One of many small enterprise homeowners, Oscar Kamati, in February 2022 requested the city council’s permission to proceed operating his restaurant on the plot.

His plea got here after he was allegedly instructed by one other tenant in February final yr that the city council wished small enterprise homeowners to vacate the world on account of tenants’ breach of contractual obligations.

Kamati’s letter mentioned he began working his enterprise there in 2017. He says he paid N$1 000 per thirty days since that yr.

“I’ve no different different from which I can function my enterprise. My household and I rely on this enterprise for our livelihoods,” he wrote.

Dhimbulukweni Iipumbu, one other small enterprise proprietor, on Tuesday mentioned she can not afford to ship her youngsters to highschool.

She says Oshakati chief govt officer Timoteus Namwandi and his officers in June final yr instructed the group of enterprise homeowners to vacate the plot as a result of the city council wished to develop it, and they’d be capable of transfer in after the event.

Kamati objected to the sale of the plot to Multiliver Property Growth CC.

He mentioned the council resolved that it might assemble an incubation or business centre in April final yr.

“That decision stands because it’s the one public info out there on the standing of erf 254 till the council dubiously authorised the sale to Multiliver Property Growth CC,” he wrote.

Multiliver Property Growth CC was solely registered with the Enterprise Mental Property Authority on 14 March final yr.

Nonetheless, in his response to Kamati, Namwandi on 15 February this yr mentioned the objection can’t be accepted because the city council had revealed a discover in newspapers in December final yr for objections to be raised.

Oshakati City Council spokesperson Katarina Kamari mentioned she was not conscious that the land has been bought, however she confirmed that the small enterprise homeowners have been instructed to vacate the plot.

“The property belongs to the council and there was a tenant who was leasing it. He then began subleasing it to different folks and so they weren’t paying him. The council then determined to take away them as a result of they weren’t paying and the property had collected extra debt. It was additionally in a dilapidated situation,” she mentioned.

Nonetheless, Hafeni Asino, one of many shareholders of Multiliver Property Growth, confirmed that he and 4 different shareholders purchased the land from the Oshakati City Council for N$2,7 million.