Planned truckport set to strangle Okahandja

THE Acting CEO of Okahandja, Vincent Sazita, is pushing ahead with a controversial scheme to sell off some prime town land to a Windhoek developer in a move that flies in the face of previous decisions in this regard and threatens the ailing town’s economic development.

Sazita has taken over as CEO as the incumbent, Regina Alugohdi, has been controversially suspended. Over the last two weeks, Sazita has placed two rounds of notices in local newspapers to this effect.In them, he gives notice that the Okahandja Town Council intends selling 25,5 hectares for N$1,5 million, without mentioning the buyers, and invites inspection of the “full particulars” of the transaction, as required by the Local Authorities Act of 1992.The intended buyers, it has been established, are a certain Cobus Brayshaw and Tony Lombard, the latter an insurance broker who has been blacklisted by the two largest local insurance companies for alleged “unethical behaviour”.Little is known about Brayshaw.The pair, operating as an unregistered company called Assist Consult, intend developing the so-called ‘Highway Fuelling City’ – comprising an all-night truck stop, a taxi rank, a pharmacy, banking facilities, a shopping centre, a conference venue and a zoo – at the crossroads of the new north-south bypass recently completed west of the town.An attempt to inspect full particulars of the deal at the Municipality, however, brought to light that very little exists in terms of formal plans.Asked if the developers had submitted a formal proposal, only notes from a Town Council meeting in this regard could be produced.Corporate Services Manager Dave Diener conceded that there was little in terms of detailed particulars, and insisted that he had told Sazita “…to be strict with those people (Brayshaw and Lombard)” and stick to criteria set out in the Local Authorities Act.Sazita had “spent hours behind closed doors” with Brayshaw and Lombard prior to submitting their proposal to the town council, Diener said.For his part, Sazita simply refused to supply information to The Namibian.”There are no particulars for you – go write that,” he said.He refused to discuss any of the implications of the controversial plan.The only particulars that appear to have been submitted to the Town Council – presented by Brayshaw and Lombard in person, as it turned out – is a “business plan” that provides no figures but promises to give more information “… after completion of confidentiality agreements between all parties.””Due to this Special Project, its potential and positive influence to the entire City of Okahandja to become the real industrial giant as being proclaimed – we would like to experience relieve on taxes and rates for a maximum period from the said entity (sic),” Lombard and Brayshaw say in their so-called Mission Statement.In terms of the law, Highway Fuelling City would have to obtain a fuel retail permit as well as permission from the Roads Authority to construct off-ramps from the B1.No such permits or pending applications could be traced with either the RA or the Ministry of Mines and Energy.The Petroleum Products and Energy Act of 1990, amongst others, also requires aspiring service station owners to conduct an environmental study, show proof of sufficient capital, and produce proof of the desirability of such a development.Neither Brayshaw nor Lombard were answering their cell phones yesterday, and at the time of going to press, had not responded to messages to call The Namibian.Lombard’s former Windhoek residence at 16 Robyn Street, Eros, had a ‘Sold’ sign posted on it and appeared uninhabited.A group of local service station owners, who employ or support some 105 people, have since given notice that they intend fighting Sazita’s planned sale in court.Sazita would first have to obtain written permission from Regional, Local Government, Housing and Rural Development Minister John Pandeni for the project.The local business community, which campaigned against the construction of the new bypass, has also strenuously objected to the deal, but to little apparent avail.They point out that two tourist attractions, Okakango Lodge and the Ombo Ostrich Farm, both went bankrupt after the new north-south bypass was completed a year ago, while through-town traffic has decreased substantially.The Chairman of the local Chamber of Commerce, Jan Blaauw, pointed out that, the legalities of the planned sale aside, the Highway Fuelling City would effectively strangle Okahandja economically.”This out-of-town development will turn Okahandja into a ghost town,” Blaauw said.”The bypass killed off the lodges, but this will kill the whole town.”* John Grobler is a freelance journalist johngrob@iway.naOver the last two weeks, Sazita has placed two rounds of notices in local newspapers to this effect.In them, he gives notice that the Okahandja Town Council intends selling 25,5 hectares for N$1,5 million, without mentioning the buyers, and invites inspection of the “full particulars” of the transaction, as required by the Local Authorities Act of 1992.The intended buyers, it has been established, are a certain Cobus Brayshaw and Tony Lombard, the latter an insurance broker who has been blacklisted by the two largest local insurance companies for alleged “unethical behaviour”.Little is known about Brayshaw.The pair, operating as an unregistered company called Assist Consult, intend developing the so-called ‘Highway Fuelling City’ – comprising an all-night truck stop, a taxi rank, a pharmacy, banking facilities, a shopping centre, a conference venue and a zoo – at the crossroads of the new north-south bypass recently completed west of the town.An attempt to inspect full particulars of the deal at the Municipality, however, brought to light that very little exists in terms of formal plans.Asked if the developers had submitted a formal proposal, only notes from a Town Council meeting in this regard could be produced. Corporate Services Manager Dave Diener conceded that there was little in terms of detailed particulars, and insisted that he had told Sazita “…to be strict with those people (Brayshaw and Lombard)” and stick to criteria set out in the Local Authorities Act.Sazita had “spent hours behind closed doors” with Brayshaw and Lombard prior to submitting their proposal to the town council, Diener said.For his part, Sazita simply refused to supply information to The Namibian.”There are no particulars for you – go write that,” he said.He refused to discuss any of the implications of the controversial plan.The only particulars that appear to have been submitted to the Town Council – presented by Brayshaw and Lombard in person, as it turned out – is a “business plan” that provides no figures but promises to give more information “… after completion of confidentiality agreements between all parties.””Due to this Special Project, its potential and positive influence to the entire City of Okahandja to become the real industrial giant as being proclaimed – we would like to experience relieve on taxes and rates for a maximum period from the said entity (sic),” Lombard and Brayshaw say in their so-called Mission Statement.In terms of the law, Highway Fuelling City would have to obtain a fuel retail permit as well as permission from the Roads Authority to construct off-ramps from the B1.No such permits or pending applications could be traced with either the RA or the Ministry of Mines and Energy.The Petroleum Products and Energy Act of 1990, amongst others, also requires aspiring service station owners to conduct an environmental study, show proof of sufficient capital, and produce proof of the desirability of such a development.Neither Brayshaw nor Lombard were answering their cell phones yesterday, and at the time of going to press, had not responded to messages to call The Namibian.Lombard’s former Windhoek residence at 16 Robyn Street, Eros, had a ‘Sold’ sign posted on it and appeared uninhabited.A group of local service station owners, who employ or support some 105 people, have since given notice that they intend fighting Sazita’s planned sale in c
ourt.Sazita would first have to obtain written permission from Regional, Local Government, Housing and Rural Development Minister John Pandeni for the project.The local business community, which campaigned against the construction of the new bypass, has also strenuously objected to the deal, but to little apparent avail.They point out that two tourist attractions, Okakango Lodge and the Ombo Ostrich Farm, both went bankrupt after the new north-south bypass was completed a year ago, while through-town traffic has decreased substantially.The Chairman of the local Chamber of Commerce, Jan Blaauw, pointed out that, the legalities of the planned sale aside, the Highway Fuelling City would effectively strangle Okahandja economically.”This out-of-town development will turn Okahandja into a ghost town,” Blaauw said.”The bypass killed off the lodges, but this will kill the whole town.”* John Grobler is a freelance journalist johngrob@iway.na