Windhoek Deputy Mayor criticizes Katutura residents committee over debt relief plan

By Valeria Handobe, via News on One

Windhoek deputy mayor, Joseph Uapingene, called the Katutura Residents Committee ungrateful and described their call to review the debt relief programme as unreasonable.

According to Uapingene, the committee should have simply expressed gratitude for the 100% debt write-off for pensioners and the 50% off for non-pensioners, instead of rejecting it.

Uapingene’s remarks come after the committee submitted a petition to the city of Windhoek last week, rejecting the offer as well as calling for a review of the debt relief programme.

He said the committee had approached the municipality since mid-last year requesting the removal of RedForce’s as a debt collector and debt write-off, amongst others.

Uapingene said that while the committee’s concerns are being taken seriously, the City does not have a service agreement with them, and they are treated like any other residents.

Uapingene further questioned the motives of the committee’s chairperson Benestus Kandundu, noting that he was a former councillor at the municipality. Uapingene asked why Kandundu did not write off debt if it was a practical solution.

“That is inhumane and actually unthankful… And the bad thing of all, the person leading this group was a former councillor here. Can he also tell me when did he write off all the people’s amounts when he was here? Why did not do that when he was here if it is practical,” asked Uapingene .