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Namibia: Property Developer, Agent War Rages On
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New Era (Windhoek)
6 June 2008
Posted to the web 6 June 2008
Desie Heita
Windhoek
In a bizarre twist of events, the melodramatic fight between former estate agent Daphne Swanepoel and hopeful property developer, Tony Mbok, has escalated into a spy war with each party levelling accusations against the other.
They have both hired private investigators to clandestinely investigate, record conversations and monitor the whereabouts of the other.
Mbok, for his part, is accusing Swanepoel of putting together a "SWAT team tasked to seek and destroy me".
Both ran to the police station on Tuesday to lay charges of harassment and assault against each other.
Mbok is claiming that his life, and that of his family, is in danger because of Swanepoel. Swanepoel is also claiming that Mbok has been sending her threatening SMSes. So does Mbok.
"I have approached the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate this matter," claims Swanepoel.
The fight between the two started last year with the collapse of Dignity Housing Initiative, through which Mbok promised to provide affordable housing to poor people. Individuals paid N$5250 deposit for the houses that were to have a value of between N$50000 and N$65000. Swanepoel's Pam Golding estate agent was one of the estate agents for the project together with Helena Mandevhu.
No house was ever constructed. Residents started to demand their money back. Henceforth ensued the fight between Mbok and Swanepoel.
In between the fight, Mbok had a brief stint in jail, on charges of theft, only to come back and have Swanepoel's fidelity certificate withdrawn by the Namibia Estate Agent Board.
This means Pam Golding is no longer open. Swanepoel is now knocking on government doors, the last being the Ministry of Trade and Industry, to have her agency re-opened. She also appealed against the Namibia Estate Agent Board decision. Board manager, Like Phelem, says the appeal is still pending.
The two's fight has also extended to the private investigator, whose name is known to New Era, who is now fuming at both individuals for having dragged his reputation into the mud.
"We agreed that this thing will be confidential," said the private investigator who charged Swanepoel N$5000 for the service.
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When contacted for comment, Swanepoel, speaking through her lawyer Phillip Swanepoel, said, "No one has been hired to investigate anyone." The lawyer said there is currently a high profile investigation into Mbok's activities. He would not say who is conducting the investigation, as it is "highly sensitive information".
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