Day: March 4, 2024

OTJIWARONGO: More than 60 residents of Otjiwarongo on Monday walked to the Central North Regional Electricity Distributor (Cenored) offices where they handed in a petition, demanding a reduction in the prepaid electricity tariffs at the town.

The residents accused Cenored of selling electricity to them at an exorbitant price of N.dollars 2.08 per unit. They accused Cenored of buying luxury vehicles, double storey office buildings and paying exorbitant salaries to employees instead of selling more affordable electricity to consumers and investing the profits into electrifying all informal areas.

They further said the company which was created in 2005 to generate money and pay dividends to its shareholders such as the regional and local authority councils, has failed to do so, and instead operates like a ‘mafia style’ organisation where millions are channelled into less priority areas.

The aggrieved residents further claimed that Cenored continues to deprive the local authorities of finances, saying before i
ts establishment in 2005, the Otjiwarongo Municipality which was handling the affairs of electricity on behalf of Government, would generate over N.dollars 43 million a year from the sales of electricity.

‘We demand a decrease in prepaid electricity charges, for instance N.dollars 10 which is fetching less than four units, should give us about seven units,’ they said.

Reacting, Cenored Public Relations Officer Charlie Matengu on Monday afternoon said Cenored has a dividend policy approved by the shareholders who are mostly the local authority councils.

‘It is based on this policy that we pay them money on a monthly basis in surcharges or reinvest the surcharges into electrification of the towns’ informal or newly created suburbs,’ he said.

The surcharges refer to the money Cenored collects from the sales of electricity units on their behalf, said Matengu.

He added that two other levies are also added to its electricity charges and that of the surcharges in the form of the National Energy Fund and Electri
city Control Board (ECB) charges, which in total would collect N.dollars 7 from the electricity units of N.dollars 10 paid by a client.

Cenored Executive for Commercial and Customer Services, Ignatius Komomungondo who received the petition, told the residents the company would respond to their grievances within seven working days.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

They included the Minister of State Bello Bouba Maigari, Territorial Administration Minister, Paul Atanga Nji, who represented president Paul Biya in the event.

Other Ministers were Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Jean Ernest Massena NGALLE BIBEHE, Ketcha courtes, Hamadou Moustapha and Yaouba Abdoulaye, Mbairobe and a host of government officials.

The three Northern Governors representing North, Far North and Adamawa, were present.

One speaker after another praised the initiative, which goes beyond the renovation of this legendary mosque inaugurated in 1981 by the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo, and praised the surge of national solidarity that enabled the initiator of the project, His Majesty El Rachidini, to offer the people of Garoua this architectural gem, whose guided tour enabled guests to appreciate the beauty of the work.

Alongside the event, on the same Friday evening, the Lamido of Garoua treated his guests to a cultural evening featuring a beautiful fantasia and a succession of musicians on the podium.

T
he later part of the programme took another turn when the Minister of Transport was elevated to the dignity of ‘Chetima’ of the Lamida of Garoua.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

OTJIWARONGO: A member of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) at Grootfontein has appeared in court on charges of rape and assault through threatening after he allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl.

The 42-year-old Martin Hangula made his first court appearance before magistrate Boniface Konga and was denied bail when he appeared in court last week.

Hangula was accompanied by his private lawyer, Bernard Tjatjara who represented him, while prosecutor Wendy Nkando appeared for the State.

Nkando strongly objected to the granting of bail to the accused, citing the seriousness of the matter as well as the fact that police investigations are in the initial stages. She told the court that Hangula, who is also a businessman at Grootfontein, might interfere and jeopardise the police investigations if he is to be released on bail at this stage.

Nkando added that the 15-year-old girl is a minor who is in Grade 10 at Grootfontein. She said the girl is highly vulnerable and could be persuaded by the accused to withdraw the c
ase once he is out on bail.

Hangula allegedly raped the girl at his flat last month. He reportedly threatened her and told her to not tell anyone or report the matter to the police, or he would shoot her.

Hangula was arrested at Grootfontein last Wednesday and his case was postponed to 23 April 2024 to allow for police investigations.

He however on Monday through his lawyer applied for a bail hearing on the matter. He is remanded in police custody at the Grootfontein Police Station holding cells.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

ONYAANYA: The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has issued a warning to the public regarding the illegal buying and selling of communal land adjacent to the B1 road in the Oshikoto and Oshana regions.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Simon Nghipandulwa, made the remarks in an interview with Nampa on Monday following reports from concerned citizens regarding unauthorised land transactions along the B1 road.

He urged the public to report any suspicious activities related to land deals to the ministry.

According to Nghipandulwa, investigations have revealed the involvement of community members from areas surrounding Omuthiya, Oniipa, Ondangwa, Ongwediva and Oshakati, as well as villages along the B1 road between Ongwediva and Ondangwa, in illegal land transactions.

‘Several individuals have fallen prey to these illegal actions,’ Nghipandulwa stated.

He said it is crucial for the public to understand that land within town boundaries falls under the jurisdiction of the respective council.

‘Communal
land cannot be sold as freehold land to any individual as per Section 42 of the Communal Land Reform Act, 2002 (Act No. 5 of 2002),’ Nghipandulwa emphasised.

He further urged the public to adhere to the correct procedures for acquiring communal land.

‘Individuals should first identify the desired land portion with the village headman or woman of the respective traditional authority. Subsequently, land parcel boundaries should be identified and collectively defined with neighbouring landholders,’ he advised.

He added that applicants should complete a prescribed form and submit it, along with an application fee of N.dollars 25, to the traditional authority.

Following this, the ministry should be contacted to verify and map the identified land parcel. ‘A seven-day notice should then be displayed at the traditional authority office to allow for objections from community members. The application should be ratified by the respective Communal Land Board for approval and registration of the land right,’ Nghipandu
lwa explained.

Upon approval, customary land right certificates will be issued to the respective traditional authority, and applicants must pay a certificate fee of N.dollars 50 to the traditional authority upon collection of the land right certificate.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency