Renthia Kaimbi
The Swapo Party’s Walvis Bay Rural district coordinator, Patrick Barthomeus, has denied allegations that the party is managing a municipal housing beneficiary list for the Farm 37 housing project from its district office, dismissing the claims as “malicious lies and propaganda” spread by an unidentified leader of an opposition party.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday at the district office in Walvis Bay, Barthomeus refuted a widely circulated video that falsely claims the list of housing beneficiaries for Farm 37 has been finalized and prepared at the Swapo Party district office.
The video, seen by the Windhoek Observer, claimed that residents from informal housing at Sea Point were given first preference and that the list is currently in the district coordinator’s possession.
Barthomeus expressed concern over what he described as deliberate attempts to create confusion among the residents of Walvis Bay while seeking political relevance through misinformation.
He noted that such propaganda undermines public trust in established institutions and distracts from the critical work of delivering housing to those in need.
“The Swapo Party district offices are not government institutions. They have neither the mandate nor the authority to carry out the functions of government institutions,” Bartholomeus emphasized.
“Swapo Party structures, including district offices, are not property developers or housing allocation authorities, nor do they compete with government institutions.”
He further reminded those spreading the misinformation that Namibia is governed by a Swapo-led government, a fact he suggested they appear to have conveniently forgotten.
Barthomeus stressed that the Swapo Party respects and trusts government institutions, including municipalities, to carry out their responsibilities independently and without interference from the governing party.
The district coordinator stated that the district office deals exclusively with Swapo Party administrative matters “nothing more and nothing less” and does not administer municipal housing matters.
He reiterated that there is no reason why a municipal housing beneficiaries’ list would be managed through a Swapo Party district office, as such functions fall squarely within the mandate of local government authorities.
Barthomeus clarified that he is not an employee of the Walvis Bay municipality and has no mandate to administer or manage housing matters.
He explained that his role is to lead the district office, which has successfully deployed councillors to serve both the municipality and the constituency.
Those elected representatives, he said, together with the management of the Walvis Bay municipality, understand their respective responsibilities and are fully capable of executing their mandates, he added.
The Farm 37 housing project, located approximately seven kilometers east of Walvis Bay, has been a priority development initiative aimed at addressing the town’s severe housing backlog.
The project originated during the planning stages in 2015, with actual development commencing in 2019/2020. It was championed by the late former governor Kleopas Mutjavikua, whose contribution to the project has been widely acknowledged.
“It would be inappropriate to speak about Farm 37 without acknowledging his significant contribution,” Barthomeus stated.
“His legacy will continue to live on through the ongoing development of Farm 37 and many other initiatives.”
The first 50 erven were allocated to beneficiaries two years ago, with residents paying approximately N$75 million to the Walvis Bay municipality for land servicing and construction of 200 low-cost housing units at Farm 37.
The investment highlights the government’s commitment to addressing the housing needs of Walvis Bay residents, particularly those living in informal settlements.
The Walvis Bay municipality has profiled over 43 000 residents living in backyard shacks, with Farm 37 identified as the answer for the landless residents.
The scale of the housing challenge in the coastal town has made projects like Farm 37 critical to improving living conditions and restoring dignity to thousands of families.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Walvis Bay municipality’s management committee, Ephraim Shozi, has dismissed the allegations as immaterial, clarifying that the beneficiary list dates back to 1992 and remains a government-funded housing initiative intended for residents who registered for housing between 1992 and 1996.
“Even in my current capacity as chairman, I’m not privy to the full list because it comes from way before my time. He must provide us with proof of his allegations,” said Shozi.
He further explained that the council merely plays a custodial role in the Farm 37 housing project, which is being spearheaded by the National Housing Enterprise (NHE).
Shozi noted that beneficiaries who have made contributions are being consulted for verification purposes, following a directive from the line ministry and the NHE.
“We are simply custodians of this government initiated housing project. And as politicians, we must be able to distinguish between projects initiated by the council and central government, before making baseless allegations,” he stressed.
Barthomeus further issued a direct challenge to anyone with credible evidence supporting the allegations, specifically calling on individuals who claim to have seen the alleged beneficiary list at the Swapo Party district office, or who claim to have registered through the district coordinator or any Swapo-affiliated official.
He invited such individuals to present their evidence publicly. “If anyone has credible evidence supporting these allegations, we invite them to present it publicly,” he stated.
The Swapo Party further called upon the residents of Walvis Bay to remain vigilant and exercise caution when confronted with unverified information, particularly on social media platforms.
Barthomeus encouraged members of the public to verify facts through credible and official sources before accepting or sharing information.
“As a community, we must not allow ourselves to become victims of propaganda, misinformation, or deliberate attempts to create confusion and undermine public trust in our institutions,” he cautioned.
Barthomeus reaffirmed the ruling party’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and supporting the lawful processes through which government institutions serve all residents of Walvis Bay fairly and without discrimination.
“The Swapo Party remains committed to transparency, accountability, and supporting the lawful processes through which government institutions serve all residents of Walvis Bay fairly and without discrimination,” he added.
