Staff Reporter
NAMDEB Diamond Corporation has initiated legal proceedings against Twenty Eleven Investment, a company owned by Omuthiya Mayor Johannes Ndeutepo, for alleged non-payment of rent for the premises it occupied. Namdeb is seeking N$336 936.92 in unpaid rent.
According to Namdeb, in 2012, the two companies entered into an agreement for Twenty Eleven Investment to rent an office space in a Namdeb-owned building in Oranjemund for a monthly fee of N$2 349.56, with a 10% annual increase.
Represented by Taimi Ileka-Amupanda of Sisa Namandje Legal Practitioners, the Omuthiya Mayor argues that Namdeb is not entitled to claim payment from him for rent arrears. He claims that Namdeb only instituted legal action in January 2023, more than three years after the alleged debt was incurred, and requests that Namdeb’s application be dismissed.
Furthermore, Ndeutepo asserts that his company had a verbal agreement with Namdeb, under which the Diamond Corporation agreed to reimburse Twenty Eleven Investment for property modifications. He also claims that they agreed that his company would not pay rent until the calculation process was completed, and that they would vacate the premises upon payment of the renovation cost. Ndeutepo’s affidavit said, “this means that there should have been no charges of rental amount by Namdeb from November 2018 to date.”
Regarding the lawsuit, Namdeb is seeking a court order for the outstanding payment of N$336 936.92, as well as a monthly fee of N$4 813.00 for each month that Ndeutepo’s company continues to occupy the property from January 2023 until the date of eviction.
In addition, the Diamond Corporation is requesting an order to confirm the cancellation of the agreement between the parties and to evict Twenty Eleven Investment from the premises.
