LTC says social media posts ‘inaccurate and misleading’

The Lüderitz Town Council (LTC) responded to social media posts which it says contain misleading and inaccurate information relating to the operations and governance of the institution. 

"The assertions made in two posts on two different Facebook pages are devoid of factual substance and lack credibility," LTC said via a media statement issued by its PR Division on 21 January. The posts were made on the Lüderitzbucht - Past and Present page by @HandsomeOtter5762 on 15 January and on the LüderitzBucht page by an Anonymous Participant on 20 January.  

HandsomeOtter5762 called on LTC to clarify who will be constructing 40 Build Together Houses and implied that the same people are getting the tenders for the job every year. “It seems that the tenders are granted to only two individuals. Certain people are allowed to claim their parents' plots, while others are not granted the same opportunity. It appears that most council-owned plots are allocated to council employees, their families and friends.”

LTC explained that Namibia's Build Together Programme operates on a self-build empowerment model. “Beneficiaries are permitted to appoint their own contractors in terms of the programme’s construction clauses. LTC is not involved in the procurement or appointment of contractors and has allocated funding for 15 units and not 40 units, as alleged in social media posts. In terms of ownership, community members are afforded the opportunity to submit objections to the minister during the process of transferring Build Together title deeds for review and consideration,” he said.  

According to HandsomeOtter5762, children who are employed as interns also seem to be only relatives of council officials and the same group of people. “Approximately 95% of the workers are Oshiwambo-speaking individuals.” LTC said that it remains fully compliant with the statutory provisions governing recruitment and employment.

The author also called on LTC to construct stalls in town for SME’s and alleged that Cossy Corner has been rented by the same owner for more than 10 years. “What was the agreement, given that the ownership was supposed to change every five years?” LTC responded that the occupation and use of any building owned by it is subject to a formal council resolution. “LTC will provide official feedback on the Cosy Corner matter at the appropriate time and through the correct communication channels.” 

Anonymous Participant wanted to know why some temporal workers at the council were put on hold in December 2025 and did not receive a salary. “Their contract will only end on 31 January 2026, and while they are on hold, the Luderitz Town Council gave (19.01.26) employment to other people, while those that were put on hold in 2025 are still at home. I would like to know what's going on.” LTC said it terminated most technical temporary contracts that had exceeded a six-month period.  “All financial obligations from these contracts have been fully settled. Affected individuals are encouraged to pursue any grievances through the appropriate labour statutory mechanism, rather than through public forums,” he said. 

Otto Shipanga, the acting CEO of LTC, further emphasised that rumours doing the rounds that council had received an amount of N$72 million are false. “The burden of proof rests with those making such reckless and baseless claims. LTC therefore calls upon the authors of these allegations to present credible evidence in support of their assertions.”