The Ohangwena Regional Council has disputed allegations that it deliberately abandoned the Eenhana Constituency office building.
This follows the circulation of a video on social media that exposed the dilapidated and abandoned building, causing an uproar among citizens nationwide.
The four-minute clip shows the sorry state of the building, which cost the government N$1.4 million in construction costs.
The building, inaugurated in 2008, previously accommodated the Eenhana Constituency’s officials.
Defects were first noticed in 2010, and they have grown to make the building an unconducive working space.
Cracks developed along the floor and walls, and termites have penetrated the foundation, further causing damage to office furniture and other property.
Council did take the decision, as a remedial measure, to compel the contractors to rectify the discovered defects while the building was still covered under the defect liability period.
Yet, no repainting or fixing of cracks ever took place.
In a press release issued, Chief Regional Officer Fillipus Shilongo announced that the structural defects had become life-threatening and it was deemed proper to vacate the building.
Council stopped operating from the building in 2016, and staff was relocated to a community hall at Onambutu, 300 metres from the facility.
The Regional Council is urging community members to refrain from trespassing and vandalising the building.
The council has instructed the security guard to safeguard both the dilapidated building and the community halls to prevent further vandalism.
The Ohangwena Regional Council plans to make a budget provision in the 2024/2025 financial year to reconstruct the Eenhana Constituency Office for effective service delivery.
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