{"id":40395,"date":"2023-03-02T09:44:45","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T09:44:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/uk-trip-victims-storm-katjaimos-office"},"modified":"2023-03-02T09:57:36","modified_gmt":"2023-03-02T09:57:36","slug":"uk-trip-victims-storm-katjaimos-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/uk-trip-victims-storm-katjaimos-office","title":{"rendered":"UK trip victims storm Katjaimo\u2019s office"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Namibia. <\/strong><\/span>A group of Namibians who were convinced to pay N$65 000 each for a failed trip to the UK said they only trusted Vezemba Rodman Katjaimo with their money because he is an elected councillor.<\/p>\n

The Katutura Central constituency councillor orchestrated a scheme last year for Namibians to attend the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, which saw a group of 198 so-called sports fanatics losing close to about N$12.9 million.<\/p>\n

Details about the trip have later emerged suggesting that the Commonwealth Games were simply a guise used by Katjaimo and his group to go and seek asylum in the UK.<\/p>\n

Their journey hit a sudden cul-de-sac in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates after immigration officials informed them that they don\u2019t have the requisite documentation and background to attend an event of the Commonwealth Games\u2019 stature.<\/p>\n

It is believed that the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) councillor used his public office for self-gratification to solicit funds from desperate individuals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would not have trusted him with our money if he was just an ordinary person. We were convinced because he is a councillor, he will not do anything to scam us. We did not know councillors can also rob their people,\u201d said one of the disgruntled victims Ivone Tjisemo.<\/p>\n

Tjisemo who is unemployed said her mother and uncle contributed money for her to go watch Namibian sprinter Christine Mboma strut her stuff on the international stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I was looking forward to visiting the UK and seeing Christine Mboma running in person,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Another victim, Elvis Nguarambuka (36) said he paid N$65 000 for his girlfriend \u201cto go have a good time in the UK\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were told that the amount is inclusive of everything including flight tickets, accommodation, food, pocket money etc. It was not an opportunity to miss and we trusted him because he says he is a born again and a man of God,\u201d Nguarambuka said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, another victim, Puvee Hukununa (24) claims the failed trip has disadvantaged her because she intended on pursuing her studies this year but her father doesn\u2019t have enough finances to fund her studies anymore.<\/p>\n

She wants Katjaimo to refund her so she goes to school.<\/p>\n

Asked if she would still have pursued her studies had she gone to the UK, she shyly said, \u201cright now I am relying on that money for my studies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nguarambuka claimed that Katjaimo has been refunded about N$700 000 by Qatar Airways but he only refunded certain individuals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI particularly only got N$22 000, some got N$15 000 while others received as little as N$1 500,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The victims flocked to Katjaimo\u2019s office yesterday to demand their money.<\/p>\n

Upon our arrival at his office, Katjaimo was not available and he apparently threatened not to refund his victims if they inform the media.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said we will not receive a single penny if we tell the media,\u201d Nguarambuka said.<\/p>\n

The group threatened to take action should Katjaimo fails to refund them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are yet to discuss the way forward. As you can see, we are all Hereros here and he is too, so we will find a way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Approached for a comment, Katjaimo said the issue is being used to defame him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan appears to be, let\u2019s call him corrupt even without facts and if it\u2019s repeated long enough it will stick.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose attempts will fail time and time again, but my conscience remains clear, If this harassment and lies continue to be perpetuated against me, I will be left with no choice but to seek recourse at relevant avenues,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He further questioned what a refund for a full amount entails \u201cif you pay for tickets and games and accommodation, and that money is not refundable by the service providers, how do you expect me to refund that which is not refunded to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Probed on the matter, PDM\u2019s leader McHenry Venaani said he has only heard from the chairman of the committee that three disciplinary hearings were conducted with Katjaimo.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are yet to receive their findings. So, it\u2019s a matter that is receiving our utmost attention,\u201d Venaani said recently.<\/p>\n

Pending the outcome of the internal investigation, the 45-year-old also conceded that the party has suffered reputational damage as consequence.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny person who is in a controversial matter, does in one or another way affect the party because it is not good especially when leaders are fighting in the media… people should eschew from those controversies because they don\u2019t build the party. They take from the brand. That is why we took action to say, let\u2019s look at what happened,\u201d he said, adding that there are unverified claims that Katjaimo has recovered around N$4 million out of the possible N$13 million.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Namibia<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Namibia. A group of Namibians who were convinced to pay N$65 000 each for a failed trip to the UK said they only trusted Vezemba Rodman Katjaimo with their money because he is an elected councillor. The Katutura Central constituency councillor orchestrated a scheme last year for Namibians to attend the Commonwealth Games […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":40394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[234,236,233],"class_list":["post-40395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-namibia","tag-namibia"],"yoast_head":"\nUK trip victims storm Katjaimo\u2019s office - Namibia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A group of Namibians who were convinced to pay N$65 000 each for a failed trip to the UK said they only trusted Vezemba ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/uk-trip-victims-storm-katjaimos-office\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UK trip victims storm Katjaimo\u2019s office\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A group of Namibians who were convinced to pay N$65 000 each for a failed trip to the UK said they only trusted Vezemba ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/uk-trip-victims-storm-katjaimos-office\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Namibia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-03-02T09:44:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-02T09:57:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2023\/03\/postQueueImg_1677737714.05.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"399\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/uk-trip-victims-storm-katjaimos-office#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/uk-trip-victims-storm-katjaimos-office\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"UK trip victims storm Katjaimo\u2019s office\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-02T09:44:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-02T09:57:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/uk-trip-victims-storm-katjaimos-office\"},\"wordCount\":816,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/uk-trip-victims-storm-katjaimos-office#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2023\/03\/postQueueImg_1677737714.05.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"africa press\",\"Africa Press-Namibia\",\"namibia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/uk-trip-victims-storm-katjaimos-office#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/uk-trip-victims-storm-katjaimos-office\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/uk-trip-victims-storm-katjaimos-office\",\"name\":\"UK trip victims storm Katjaimo\u2019s office - 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