WINDHOEK, JAN 31 – Bank Windhoek on Monday said it had cancelled a planned auction for the property of the late John Akapandi Endjala, prior to calls from a group of black businesses to desist from going ahead with it. On Friday, Black Business Leadership Network of Namibia took time out of their designated demonstration and made a quick stop in front of Bank Windhoek’s banking halls along Independence Avenue chanting slogans. Initially, the group’s agenda was such that the demonstrators would leave demand letters at Bank of Namibia, Development Bank of Namibia and Ministry of Finance.
However, prior to each of those demands being handed over, the group’s spokesperson Eliphas Simon gave a stern warning that the auction would not take place, even sacrificing his freedom by saying “I will be the first person you arrest if that auction takes place on February 1… ,” as he boldly addressed the police escort that was in tow.
Nevertheless, in today’s Namibian Classifieds on page 17, the legal notice that indicated there would be an auction was cancelled. In fact, Bank Windhoek maintains that the auction had been cancelled almost a fortnight ago.
When asked why the auction had been cancelled and if it was a direct result of the demonstration, Executive Officer of Marketing and Corporate Communication Services, Jacquiline Pack in an email said: “Bank Windhoek Limited would like to confirm that the auction in question was cancelled on 20 January 2022.”
When questioned as to why the auction was cancelled Pack said: “Furthermore, the Banking Institutions Act prohibits engagement on any client matter due to the provision of client confidentiality.” said Bank Windhoek’s Executive Officer of Marketing and Corporate Communication Services.
On Friday, Simon had said: “Those whose blood waters our freedom, their blood is boiling. How can someone who has left us barely 72 hours ago, and now you want to take away property and auction the property of his family, BEFORE he is even buried? And you are doing all this while his widow and children are mourning, you want to come and auction before the blood is even cold. In our culture this is not right and we are going to go there to the auction and I will be the first person that you ( an officer present during the demonstration) will arrest.” – musa@namibiadailynews.info
