Neighbours clash over construction of flats

Linus Johannes

The owner of Oshakati Guest House, Basil Devenish, and the owner of SOS Club, Linus Johannes, are at loggerheads over the construction of a block of flats on Johannes’ erf.

The matter is expected to be heard in the Oshakati High Court on 10 May.

The two establishments are situated adjacent to each other at Oshakati.

Johannes claims Devenish is not happy with the ongoing construction of 10 one-bedroom flats, which started in January, after he obtained a loan from the bank to expand his business.

Johannes told The Namibian, construction was expected to be completed in March, however, due to the ongoing saga between h and Devenish, it could not be completed on time.

“Before I started constructing flats, I handed in my application to the town council for any objections from the neighbours.
However, there was no objection from any of my neighbours and my application was approved. After I started with the construction project, that is when Devenish started fighting me over the whole project.

“He started yelling at me and my contractors since the onset of the project, telling them to stop constructing,” he said.

Johannes said Devenish later took the matter to the High Court, where Devenish interdicted and restrained Johannes from carrying out further unlawful construction activities, in accordance with building plans purported to be approved by the Oshakati Town Council during 2021/2022.

Devenish has also taken Oshakati Town Council to court for allegedly approving Johannes’s application for consent to construct flats without following the council’s planning scheme.

Devenish declined to comment on the matter as it was still before the court.

“I will refer you to my lawyers,” he said.

According to documents in possession of The Namibian obtained from Oshakati Town Council, Johannes’ application for consent to construct flats was approved on 2 June 2021, after he applied for consent on 15 December 2020.

Oshakati Town Council chief executive officer Timotheus Namwandi could not comment on the matter as it was sub judice.
“I can confirm that the council is aware of the matter, however, I cannot comment at the moment as I might jeopardise the court order,” said Namwandi.

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