Photo: Henties Bay Information Centre
Serious concerns have arisen regarding the recent valuation process undertaken for the Henties Bay Municipality, following the rejection of the valuation by the Valuation Court due to alleged discrepancies identified in the process.
According to the Henties Bay Residents Association the concerns reportedly extend from the appointment of the valuator through to the manner in which the valuation work was conducted and the quality and accuracy of the resulting valuation. “The rejection by the Valuation Court raises important questions about whether the required procedures, professional standards and statutory requirements were properly followed throughout the process,” says the chairperson of the Association, Mr Con Swart. ]
The Henties Bay Residents Association is therefore calling on the Henties Bay Municipality to undertake a full, independent and transparent investigation into the entire valuation process. “The matter cannot simply be regarded as an administrative error. A property valuation has significant consequences for residents, property owners, businesses and the financial affairs of the municipality. Any shortcomings in the process can undermine public confidence and potentially result in unfair or inaccurate valuations and financial consequences for affected owners,” a media statement issued by the Association reads. Questions on which the residents are demanding answers on include, how the valuator was appointed and whether the correct procurement and appointment procedures were followed, and also whether the appointed valuator met all the required professional and statutory qualifications.
Other questions on which answers are required on are whether the terms of reference and instructions given to the valuator were appropriate, whether the valuation was conducted in accordance with the applicable legislation, regulations and professional valuation standards, whether adequate supervision, review and quality control were exercised by the Municipality. Furthermore, residents also want to be informed about the extent and nature of the discrepancies identified by the Valuation Court, and whether any official, councillors, consultants or other persons failed to perform their responsibilities properly.
The financial and administrative consequences of the rejected valuation for the municipality and property owners, as well as what corrective measures are necessary to ensure that the valuation process is properly completed and that similar failures do not occur again, are also burning questions which was sent to the Henties Bay Municipality by the Residents Association. Henties Bay residents are also demanding that, where the investigation establishes negligence, misconduct, failure to follow proper procedures or other wrongdoing, those responsible must be held accountable in accordance with the applicable laws and employment or professional procedures. Further noting that accountability must not be limited to the person who carried out the valuation.
The entire chain of responsibility, including the appointment, oversight, verification and acceptance of the work, should be examined. “The people of Henties Bay have a right to expect that municipal processes involving their properties and finances are conducted with transparency, competence, fairness and accountability. We therefore call on the Henties Bay municipality to make the findings of the investigation available to the public, subject only to legitimate legal or privacy restrictions, and to clearly communicate what corrective action will be taken. This is not merely about a rejected valuation. It is about public confidence in the administration of Henties Bay and the responsible management of matters that directly affect property owners and the community.
The community deserves answers, accountability and a valuation process that is lawful, professional, transparent and beyond reproach,” the media statement concludes. When going to print the Henties Bay Residents Association informed Namib Times that they did not receive any feedback from the municipality yet and noted that tensions are starting to run high. Attempts by Namib Times to get answers in this regard from the Henties Bay municipality were unsuccessful.
