Outapi businessman grabs land

AN OUTAPI family says businessman Mauno Indongo used intimidation tactics to grab their piece of land.

The land that measures about 50 x 50 metres is along the Outapi-Rucana main road at Outapi town next to Indongo’s plot.

One of the children, Maria Lazarus (29), said their late mother Joakim Fillipus acquired the land from the Ombalantu Traditional Authority in 1979. The Namibian has a copy of the certificate of ownership from the traditional authority.

Lazarus said Indongo wanted to expand his business and had been begging their mother to sell him the plot since the 1980s.

“My mother refused selling because she wanted us to inherit the land,” Lazarus said, adding that they had been staying on the plot after their mother’s death.

In 2005, she said, the family shacks burnt down and they had to move in with relatives. Indongo, Lazarus added, started building his two storey structure for his business.

Currently, Indogo is renting out part of the building to cash loan companies and Nampost, while he occupies the top floor.

According to Lazarus, their mother failed to meet Indongo because every time he was said to be outside the country. She died in 2009.

In 2010, Lazarus said, Indongo offered them N$ 45 000 for the land but they could not do so when his wife brought along police officers to intimidate the family. Lazarus said they never engaged Indongo again and that visits to the Outapi Town Council offices to meet the chief executive officer, Ananias Nashilongo, did not bear any fruit.

“The town council always told us to just go back to the man as they had nothing to do with our case,” she said.

Early this month, Lazarus and his brothers visited Omusati governor Erginus Endjala requesting him to intervene.

Endjala allegedly spoke to Indongo who then promised to compensate the family and on Wednesday last week, Endjala sent one of his assistants to oversee the process.

Indongo then offered the family N$3 500, which the family did not accept, Lazarus said. She also said that her brothers erected shacks on the land on Thursday.

“We want help. We want the Namibian nation to help us in this regard. This is our land that this businessman is trying to take away from us,” she stated.

A neighbour told The Namibian that Indongo is abusing his power.

“The land belong to their late mother, therefore it is theirs.What Indongo is doing is wrong. One day God will punish him for his evil deeds,” the neighbour said. Indongo had allegedly opened a case of malicious damage to property with the police, after Lazarus and his brothers damaged a concrete floor to erect their shacks and tents.

Indongo told The Namibian that he was sick and could not talk.

“Tatekulu, I am sick and cannot talk. Go ask the Outapi Town Council,” he said before hanging up.

Endjala said he was aware of the problem and that he only entered the fray as a mediator.

“All the concerned parties in that case are our people and that is why we entered to try to help them to negotiate. However, our hands were tired,” he said.

Endjala said the Outapi Town Council should provide answers as to how Indongo was allowed to build on the land.