Martin Endjala and Ester Mbathera
Prominent lawyer, Richard Metcalfe has accused the Walvis Bay municipality of corruption, mismanagement, and failure to adhere to municipal laws.
Metcalfe targeted the recent settlement agreements between the municipality and RedForce Debt Management CC, alleging that the agreements condone illegal financial practices that burden residents while benefiting politicians.
“Such settlement agreements condone the extortion of illegal levies and fees from customers of Walvis Bay Municipality, tailored tender documents and the ignoring of the Walvis Bay municipality Credit Control Policy,” said Metcalfe.
According to him, dishonourable politicians are to blame for the municipality’s problems, not RedForce.
“Facts were presented through investigation, but the ostrich with its head in the sand approach has been resorted to by these so-called leaders. The settlement agreements are a typical example of what leaders who describe themselves correctly would agree to,” said Metcalfe.
He called on the community of Walvis Bay to take mass action against the politicians.
“It is high time for ordinary people who are forced to pay illegal levies to resort to mass action to get rid of disrespectful politicians who refuse to observe the law and who ignore the credit control policy to milk Walvis Bay Municipality customers who struggle whilst the leaders languish in luxury. It is not the RedForce Force that is the problem. The problem is self-serving councillors who won’t follow the law,” he said.
RedForce has been reinstated following a settlement agreement with the Walvis Bay municipality.
On 23 April, Swapo councillor Ephraim Shozi’s motion, which the council approved, led to the termination of RedForce’s contract.
RedForce then took the municipality to court.
“The agreement between the parties shall endure on the same terms and conditions as if it were never terminated, and the parties shall continue to carry out their rights and obligations in accordance with the agreement,” reads the agreement.
It also stipulates the immediate restoration of any rights that the termination may have impaired or otherwise adversely affected.
The parties further agreed that any future changes or amendments to the agreement shall be discussed and agreed upon by and between the parties in accordance with the terms of the agreement and applicable laws from time to time, and each party shall pay its own costs.
The two parties will continue to cooperate in good faith to ensure that the provisions of their settlement agreement and existing agreements between them are fully implemented.
“The parties jointly agreed that they would not proceed with the action further and prayed to the Honourable Court that the matter be removed from the court roll and regarded as finalised,” read the agreement.
The agreement gave the council five days to release a public statement clearing RedForce of all the accusations it had made.
“The Council for the Municipality of Walvis Bay hereby wishes to inform the public that the recent allegations of fraud and misrepresentation against RedForce Debt Management are entirely unfounded and factually incorrect,” reads the statement issued by the municipality.
The council also said it regrets the inconvenience RedForce experienced, assuring that all contractual obligations and rights arising from the agreement between RedForce and the Council would continue without interruption.
It also stated that all accounts handed over for collection would remain with RedForce until they were fully settled.
The municipality has advised residents and debtors to cooperate with the debt collection process, and it assures them that all collection methods employed by RedForce comply with the council’s Credit Control Policy.
The Landless People’s Movement councillor, Ryan Gordon, said that he only heard about it over the weekend and does not know what is going on.
He indicated that he would write to the municipality’s chief executive officer to request a special meeting.
“This is an urgent matter, and we need to have a council meeting to understand what happened and how to update the present masses.
Swapo party councillor Albertina Nkoshi, who is currently serving a one-month suspension, told the publication that she is unable to comment on the issue because she has no idea what the council is doing or what is going on given her suspension.
Nkoshi, Ephraim Shozi, and Paulus Kauhondhomwa were suspended for the entire month of September for causing chaos at an ordinary council meeting on 16 July.
“I and my fellow comrades are serving suspension currently. It is difficult for me to make a comment now because I do not know what is happening at the council. But when I return, I will be able to look into it to understand what is going on and only then can we as Swapo councillors give our view on the said agreement,” she said.
Shozi could not be reached for comment.
