Reho’s sand houses to be demolished

Written by Patience Nyangove
Thursday, 17 June 2010

REHOBOTH residents are set to see N$200,000 of the tax payer’s money go down the drain after the sole holder of patent rights for the construction of sand houses in Namibia demanded through his lawyers that the town council demolish the houses. According to Martin Dentlinger, the town council infringed on his patent rights when it “awarded” a tender to a South African national to build the sand houses in Namibia as he is the only person in the country who has the right to construct the houses.

Dentlinger’s lawyer, Irvin Titus, of Koep and Partners confirmed the action Wednesday.

“We have been instructed by our client to write to the Rehoboth Town Council informing them to cease the project and our client’s rights over the exclusive use of the patent rights. We are currently in the process of drawing papers. There will be a formal application in court interdicting the council from constructing the sand houses,” Titus said

Dentlinger, a Namibian, says on 14 February 2004, he approached the Rehoboth Town Council with a business proposal to construct houses in the town but they never gave him any response despite several follow-ups until he heard almost six years later that council had approached a South African to construct the houses.

“I immediately wrote an email to the council objecting to the project because they never compared or even considered my proposal. I cautioned the town council that I am the exclusive patent right holder for Namibia and would protect my patent rights in court if necessary,” he said.

Dentlinger questioned the logic behind the Rehoboth Town Council’s giving a foreigner who is more expensive the tender at the expense of a Namibian national.

“How can the Rehoboth Town Council justify their decision to appoint a foreigner above a Namibian citizen and a Rehobother for the mentioned building project without requesting tenders and at a price that exceeds the conventional building cost?

“On what grounds were the work permits for the contractors obtained while Namibians are more than capable to construct the buildings?” he questioned.

Rehoboth Mayor, David Reichter, said he was going to look into the issue as the project was started when he was not in office.

“I will find out what’s going on. I have taken recognition of the matter. Some of the issues are very new to me,” he said.