Hertta-Maria Amutenja
In an escalating standoff between Katutura residents and the City of Windhoek (CoW), residents are contemplating taking legal action as they demand immediate resolution to their grievances concerning the city’s engagement with Redforce Debt Management for debt collection.
The Katutura Residents Committee, representing the disgruntled residents, which comprises mostly elderly people, has expressed their dissatisfaction with the city’s debt collection approach, which involves contracting a third party to collect debts on behalf of the city.
“We are also exploring legal action and have already sought legal advice from senior counsel regarding various legal aspects we can explore,” said Shaun Gariseb, Spokesperson of the Katutura Residents Committee.
Despite residents’ objections to the arrangement, CoW has persisted in its utilisation of Redforce Debt Management.
The residents’ primary concern is that the continued use of Redforce Debt Management may lead to the auctioning of their homes, potentially creating new land grabbers in the city. They firmly believe that the city should prioritise basic services for its less privileged citizens over profit.
In September, Benestus Kandundu, Chairperson of the Committee, stressed that the CoW should not act as a profit-driven institution.
“The City of Windhoek is not a profit-making organisation, and we demand a shift in their debt collection policies. The city cannot stick to the estimation of accounts. It’s been 30 years; what is the reason? Is it because the city wants to make more money on top of the interest charges,” he asked.
The residents made several demands, including the immediate termination of Redforce’s contract and the introduction of prepaid electricity and water meter systems to eliminate the need for a debt collector.
They have also lost trust in the Council leadership, believing that the city prioritises monetary gain over the well-being of its residents.
“In September, we submitted a necessary complaint against the City of Windhoek at the ACC. This is where we learned why the City of Windhoek is protecting our complaints against Redforce. They were so protective that they even forgot to say okay, we understand your concerns, and we will address the conduct of the external debt collector.
Instead, they started spreading untruths, such as claiming that pensioners are not handed over to Redforce and that Redforce is cheaper to have. While they claim they don’t hand over pensioner debts to Redforce, we have proof, and they know that. That’s why they went to John Pandeni constituency on the 27th of September, asking pensioners to return their accounts,” said Gariseb.
As tensions escalated, the residents turned to Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, to address potential conflicts of interest and demand answers from CoW regarding the prolonged delay in responding to their recommendations.
Gariseb said one potential avenue for legal action is to demand access to the contracts for the supply of water and electricity, which are considered the cornerstone of the relationship between the City and its residents. If these contracts are not made available, it could be argued that the city is violating the law and its own provisions.
With tensions rising, the residents are determined to continue their fight for fairness and accountability, even if it means taking their concerns to the courts.
