Rundu council faces backlash over LPM, NEFF restrictions

The Rundu Town Council has removed the posters of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) and Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF), citing non-payment for the advertising space last week.

The town council charges a fee for political parties to put their campaign posters put on public lamp poles.

The Helao Nafidi Town Council, on the other hand, last month prohibited opposition political parties from putting up their campaign posters on public lamp poles, crediting their decision to the ruling party paying for advertising on the lamp poles at the town.

NEFF spokesperson Teresia Hamurenge yesterday told The Namibian that the Rundu Town Council should have been transparent before the removal.

“They were supposed to notify the political parties,” she said.

Hamurenge argued that if they had known, they would have paid.

“For them to remove the posters without notification is wrong,” she said.

She said the council should have published a public notice to avoid this.

“They could have published this, because in the past years there was no such thing,” she stated.

The LPM says it actively abides by the rules and has paid fees at towns that have indicated such.

“Hence, going back to that situation of the Swapo flag being removed and the LPM one being placed. It was a situation of who paid and who paid first,” LPM spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa said yesterday.

Rundu Town Council chief executive Olavi Nathanael yesterday told The Namibian that advertising space on poles are paid for and political parties are not excluded from this.

“Everyone, including political parties wishing to do outdoor advertising, whether through free-standing units or poles, pay the necessary charges as per gazette tariffs,” he said.

He said the display is conditional upon prior payment.

“As an office, we are impartial,” he added.