By Martha Matongo
GOVERNMENT has approved funds to compensate eight (8) grand children of the late businessman William (Bill)
Finaughty who have been battling for the inheritance and compensation of the land along the Zambezi river bank.
Zambezi Regional Governor, Lawrence Sampofu confirmed to Caprivi Vision that “Money was approved for them in
principles but the approval of funds in the bank is not yet done as we are also still waiting”.
He advised the family members of Finaughty to have patience and wait for their money while government is still processing it. He also added that when money will be approved for payment, the Zambezi Regional Council will call the family, Liselo Khuta and Chincimane Khuta the headquarter for Mafwe Traditional Authority which gave the land to their grand father to come and witness the hand over .
Governor Sampofu further reveled that “As the letter was even read to them, stating that Government will source out some money somewhere to compensate them”, he said.
However, John Finaughty the grandson told this paper that they are tired of waiting for the moneys as they were told on October 24,2014 that they will be compensated as he raised his concerns “ We have been going over to the governor and we have made consultations with the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, and Ministry of Finance and they said the money was transferred to Zambezi Regional Council we want our president Dr Hage Geingob to intervene on the matter we want our cheque” quashed John Finaughty, the grand son.
BACKGROUND
The grand children have been seeking for legal assistance to own the land property legally but all to no avail. The Namibian government and some private individuals have a keen interest in the plot.
The late Finaught is the first white man to establish business in the former Caprivi Strip in 1940, when he migrated
from Petersburg, the then Northern Transvaal of South Africa when he worked for Witwatersrand Native Labour
Association (WENELA), and later started his businesses which included a large shop, butchery, workshop for
repairing motor vehicles as since he was also a mechanic by profession, carpentry workshop and owned many
stores across eastern and western Caprivi.
The plot has caused a dispute between the late Finaughty’s grandchildren and the Katima Mulilo Town Counci , who are claiming the land belongs to them as it falls under the jurisdiction.
Despite that, other issues still on the table are the proclamations of the disputed land that has been turned into a prime land by the local government of Katima Mulilo and the Namibia Development Corporation (NDC), who are now also claiming that it has the title deed of the site structures on the land in question, as it was constructed by the corporation
during the post independent era when it was still called as Bantu Investment Corporation (BIC).
According to John and Patrick, who are both appointed executors and grandsons, their late father’s estates, has been occupied by other people without their knowledge and are demanding for the compensation for the asset which they can call their own.
“Our constitutional rights are being enjoyed by other people. We were not consulted about any commercial benefits, which would be potentially beneficial to us” said John.
“We want N$ 90 million from the government for the land. They failed even to honor our grand father by naming a street after him in the town of Katima Mulilo” he explained.
Ends…
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