I have been asked by a concerned resident to post the following!
"WHICH DATE CAN WE ORANJEMUNDERS EXPECT TO GET A FINAL DATE BEFORE END OF NOVEMBER WHEN THE HOUSES CAN BE BOUGHT!!! "
There is no date...and this issue never ends..... I hear that OTMCO have reached a dead end to this.... there is some complication with a law that needs to be changed.... in order for OTMCO to get there paws on the houses in order to flog it to us.... however , due to the diamond act.... this is not as easy as it originally seemed...
On the other hand.... I submitted a whole pile of works requests for repair work to be done to SPAR and the next thing I knew, the valuator turned up to value the building...I don't think OTMCO has the funds to repair their buildings.......
Lets see how this toothless DeBeers Creation ambers along.....
baby
The house issue remains outstanding....time is running out ... here is a note sent to the OTMCO manager by a concerned resident......
"Does anyone know WHEN PRIVATE ENTERPRISE
AND THOSE INTERESTED IN SETTLING DOWN PERMANENTLY IN ORANJEMUND CAN HAVE THE OPTION TO BUY THEIR HOUSES??
this matter is also long outstanding.
SAVE ORANJEMUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
I think the people that run this department on behalf of the mine do not really have the future of Oranjemund at heart.... these are and always will remain outsiders who are just here for the pay..... claiming to make a noise , but when the shit hits the fan, they will just resign and head back to their hometowns....
I think these people do not realize the urgency of the situation and how they should go about saving this town....
I think these people are going to wake up, with 500 empty houses, no local economy, dying lawns and dead tree's and wonder how the mismanaged the situation......
COme On..... someone in charge, take the bull by the horns and get this thing sorted.... I think if one more ex Oranjemunder emails me to enquire if they can by a a house in Omund, I will cry at the injustice of it all.....
image14
The way I feel today - I'll pack up now and move to Oranjemund. I've simply had enough. I'm very serious, so I hope I can move into the house we lived in when I was born, even though the tree my Dad planted in the front yard when I was born, has recently been removed.
abouttime
Let me find out about squatters rights...... msn emoticon (9)
It really is sad to see threads such as these for the simple reason that the present status of the housing issue was discussed in detail, and explained quite clearly, at the General Manager's Info Sharing session at the Recreation Club in early December. I thought Harold Kisting did a particularly good job in explaining where we are in the process. Yes, it has been slow and frustrating for all but moaning and groaning about it isn't going to change anything.
May I suggest that Harold be approached to obtain a factual update which can be shared with everyone so that the topic is placed in context and out of the hands of the conspiracy theorists! Secondly, it is high time the moaners and groaners in the community started to attend the various forums and meetings that are held in town. The turnouts are generally very poor. Recently, for instance, Nampol held a public meeting to discuss crime in town (and how much have we seen on this topic on this site?) and, as usual, a handful of folk turned up. This is par for the course. Even the longstanding Police/Community affairs forum has collapsed for lack of interest from the community. I hardly think this is the company's fault.
Is there any other way for us "Old Oranjemunders" who are interested to get the info on this topic? Is there any website where we outsiders can also see what the company let's residents know about issues like this?
Pete has a point, here I am complaining ,perhaps out of frustration more than anything, panic in a small way....I was not at the meeting in December, I was in fact out of town on leave, and therefore have no idea what was said at the meeting. I can assure you , that the concerned resident was at the meeting, and in fact attends all the meetings and in fact actually initiates some of the meetings.
But in my case , I should not be commenting on things, if I was not there. I will therefore, pop over the road and have a word with Harold and see if he has any minutes or a copy of his presentation. If available, I will post it here.
I have been asked for the last three years to attend various meetings in Oranjemund. I do not like to attend these meetings, in General, because nothing frustrates me more than attending meetings where nothing is achieved. I have noticed that us, Namibians love to attend and host meetings, but what should take 30 minutes to present lands up taking 2 hours, with the same hot air going around in a circle. Then we all leave the meeting, with our notes in one hand, feeling awfully proud and content of ourselves, only to wonder intwo months time nothing that was discussed at that particular meeting was implemented. We then get notice by month three to attend, yet another meeting, where the exact same thing happens again, with one or two bells added.
The one thing you do notice, is the number of people attending the meetings starts to drop....
I had a meeting with OTMCO concerning over zealous Taxi operators plying their trade in front of Spar. Iasked for OTMCO to have two representatives in attendance. The Bank manager of Bank Windhoek, The Traffic Chief and the elected official in charge of the Taxi Association. Well , it was a nice meeting, not the traditional hot air going around in circle, Bank Windhoek and Spar were going to donate benches for out customers to sit on at the New Taxi Rank, that was to be built by OTMCO on the west side of the musuem. In his own words, the traffic chief told us how he was actually powerless to prevent Taxi's from parking in non taxi designated areas due to there being no traffic by laws for Oranjemund. OTMCO responded that there hands were tied, as they were not a municipality and could not pass any laws.
On the point of illegal taxi's in town, the Traffic Chief stated that there was nothing that he could do, as the Taxi's were roadworthy and they had public transport certificates. OTMCO groaned that they knew there were Taxi's operating illegally in Oranjemund, but they never had the manpower to police this.
For the third time I raised the issue of a disabled parking bay, right next to the front door of Spar. All we needed was a bit of paint, the painters were already repainting the parking stripes, so all that was needed was for somebody at OTMCO to inform them just to add a line or two of paint. Everyone agreed, Yes! Indeed, this was the right thing to do.
It was a nice meeting, I thought to myself.... here are a nice group of Oranjemunders, concerned and we seem to be making progress. Even to the point that the Traffic chief stated, that this was a most excellent meeting and that we should get together again to discuss more issues.
We all left there feeling mighty proud and content with ourselves..........
That was 4 months ago, not a whisper from OTMCO, not a chirp from the Traffic CHief..... The Bank Manager has left town....... All I could think to myself, "Gee! Mike, you did it again, " You attended another meaningless meeting in Oranjemund", but I guess it was nice to feel proud and content for that hour.
Oh! And the disabled people, well they still park down the road from Spar!
msn emoticon (9)
Hi mike in kleinzee they had 2 disabled parking outside the spar 2 outside the the bottle store and by the post office but u get those who dont care and still park there noddy went up to one guy that is not disabled that was parked there and told him he always thought he was disabled enjoy the day jackie
In order to redeem myself for making unfounded comments against OTMCO and not being at their last public meeting, I arranged to have an informal 30 minute meeting with the CEO of OTMCO, Harold Kistings..... I actually wanted a transcript of the speech given at the December meeting, in order to publish it online.... turns out there are no minutes or copies of any speeches..... Harold explained to me that the meeting was a two way communicative meeting, whereby a point would be raised and then he would try to answer it to the best of his ability..... anyhow on a few points straight from Harold's mouth...
1) There is a meeting taking place in Windhoek on the 28th of January, with the relevant parties including in AG, where it is hope that a mutual understanding will be reached between the mine (Otmco) and the government to allow proclomation to take place in Oranjemund. Only once Oranjemund has been proclaimed can private ownership come into affect. (We wait in anticipation)
2) Empty Houses can be rented . As long a certain criteria are met.
3) OTMCO runs the town on a budget of N$4,5 million a month, with sewage removal taking the chunk of the budget. I think it was about 1.2 million.
4) There was a story that back in the 60's, DeBeers had started a fund that was reputed to be in the hundred of millions, which would be used to remove the entire town after the mining was completed. This is utter nonsense and Harold gave me pretty good explanation of how budgets and Surplus funds are used at Namdeb.
5) Harold had phoned Kudu Gas last week to enquire about their intentions.....Yes! They were still interested, but due the current Global economic mess, financing would be a problem.
6) The Aquaculture project is being established, but is still in it's infancy stage.
7) Any feedback on meetings that are held, is published in the Newsletter. SO to stay abreast make sure you get a copy.
Harold will try and get online to read the forum and has assured me if anyone has any queries to email him. I am at home and will post his email 2morrow.
Oh! and my taxi rank was not put up , due to financial constraints......
are-you-there
Um Financial restraints?
1 - Spar = Benches
2 - Bank = Benches paints or something............. damm this medication and early mornings
what financial restraints????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Move some street signs do they need to dig up the whole *&^%$%^&&*&&^!!! road to say this way taxis or do they have to re-train the taxi drivers? or do they have to take the taxi drivers on a breakaway weekend to the Beverley Hills Hilton for a week to tell them what is going to happen or do we as Law abiding citizens just get on with the job, get our overalls on, get the paint from Pupkevitz, and paint the disabled parking and do it ourselves and the taxi rank? I am game any body else? In fact I will gladly donate the paint and the brushes and repaint the double white line in front of spar so that no body can do uturns again. Not tht it makes any bloody difference ti the bloody taxis. image14
Mmm you on top form this morning Kaye .. How you ?? Actually you are SO darn right re the paint issue .. we do it in our area .. council used to come around and clean up the weeds growing next to the walls ... now we do it ourselves ... the stormwater gutters ... most of us concerned folk do it ourselves or pay a vagrant to do it and give them a meal as well so they at leas got the energy .. if we aint got the time..
So Hon drag in the volunteers ... people may shake their heads but yes then maybe some of the energy of what you doing will rub off ..
Ill supply the overalls ?? ... cat3
On top form ready to declare world war 10. Check our new topic. Am fed up with all the moaning and groaning and now some f********g poopall went and vandalised graves. And the traffic cop from OMD is in Rosh Pinah when he should be in OMD fining the bloody taxis or be on the North Bank road checking for speeding cars.... not sitting under a tree drinking coke and talking shit with his buddies. Today not a good day but I am still counting my blessings that my DB is alive and getting better and getting used to his machine...... And I am blessed that the snoring has stopped woo_hoo
Just wish that some people would do their own posting and not post through others. Hint hint Mike.. Tell you know who to post their own comments or get Koos to post for them, that way you wont get inot the dwang.
secret(1)
1. Paint the garages at Swartkops green again.
2. Hijack all the taxis and lock them in these said green garages.
3. Bring back the buses - orange, blue, green routes like in the 70's.
4. Buses too big to make u-turns in front of SPAR.
Problem solved
Peace in OMD!
Drove down 16th ave this afternoon there was a vacant house big kichen window busted out and all the dust and wind taking it's toll on the inside what a shame
Burglar guards, vagrants, houses for rent, crime - is this Oranjemund you are talking about? When I last lived in Omund it was behind the wire, you were required to pass through Xray before leaving, cars were parked at the Bridge and there was no local transport apart from company cars. There was zero crime, certainly no vagrants (nobody allowed past the Bridge security). There was also a Parks and Gardens department which kept all trees watered, lawns mown, flowerbeds weeded and replanted, and was continually looking for places to plant more trees. It also supplied compost and fertiliser for home gardens and ran an annual garden competition. The maintenance department did all house maintenance pronto, houses were totally repainted every three years, local telephone calls were free. I could go on and on. It was a paradise. What did you guys do to change it?
Quote from: Alfred Boehme on January 14, 2009, 09:51:29 PM
Drove down 16th ave this afternoon there was a vacant house big kichen window busted out and all the dust and wind taking it's toll on the inside what a shame
Hope that wasn't my house 6/16
Mike, have spar invest in two wheel clamps once you paint the designated disabled zones ( AND USE THEM on any vehicle parked there - NO charge for removing from a disabled persons vehicle and only release others on a N$ 500 release fee ( dont call it a fine)
Quote from: Diana Rudd (Boehme) on January 15, 2009, 08:02:59 AM
Quote from: Alfred Boehme on January 14, 2009, 09:51:29 PM
Drove down 16th ave this afternoon there was a vacant house big kichen window busted out and all the dust and wind taking it's toll on the inside what a shame
Hope that wasn't my house 6/16
No two houses down
How many disabled poeple in Oranjemund?
You"ll always have parking Alfred and you can pick your bay. cat3
Eina, that was harsh Diana ... but then again, brothers and sisters can say anything to each other can't they???
Of course we can,.......best I shut up now before he hits me over my head with his leg. Up-out
Thats not nice we won't say anything about the other disabled parking and the show goes on hahahaha
202 Thats mom's parking
It's all in the genes then image201 image201 image201