Music Instructor Revealed As Con Artist

The leader of a recent music workshop held in the last week of February has turned out to be a fraud and has fled Lüderitz stealing money and food and leaving unpaid bills behind him.

Jan Mafud !Haubab ran the week long workshop from the YACC saying that he wanted to help educate the youth of Namibia and encourage young musicians to learn. However this noble sentiment has been kicked into the gutter following allegations that !Haubab was actually a fraudster who was using the music course for financial gain. !Haubab has been accused of stating that he was the Youth Centres new Music Instructor (the Youth Arts and Culture Centre is currently looking for a Music Volunteer), agreeing to buy musical instruments for local people, taking their money and then leaving Lüderitz with no intention of returning with the promised instruments. One woman, who requested the purchase of a key board, has lost N$1600 to this scam. In addition !Haubab also ran out on his hotel bills leaving Bay View Hotel and Hartmans with outstanding fees.

Reverend Scholtz, head of the YACC has made the following statement:

Mr. Jan !Haubab is the Coordinator of the Karas Regional Musician Association, but is in no way affiliated with the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport & Culture (or the Luderitz Youth Centre). While we at the Luderitz Youth Centre did allow him to use our Main Hall free of charge for his Basic Music Courses, held 23 – 27 February, he has no official connection with the Ministry. Again to clarify, Mr. !Haubab is not our Music Instructor, as the position has not even been interviewed for yet. When the position is eventually filled, the Centre will be sure to inform the public on this development.

Mr. !Haubab, on behalf of his own organization, personally handled the registration for his course and collected all associated fees. Anyone who wishes to settle outstanding issues with Mr. !Haubab must contact him directly via phone (063225176 in Keetmanshoop) or send mail to his organization (Karas Regional Musician Association, P.O. Box 13, Keetmanshoop). In the future, we ask that the public contact our Centre for confirmation if they encounter someone who claims to be employed by or representing our Ministry.

!Haubab was scheduled to return to Lüderitz for a second music course in two months time but due to the recent events it appears unlikely that this will be the case.

Music Academy Receives Disappointing Youth Attendance

!Haubab’s course itself was gratefully received by members of the local community but unfortunately attracted only a very small number of young people, despite the youths’ march for recreational activities held in February. Could it be that there are in fact activities available in Lüderitz but Young people are just not interested in them?

Despite the recent discovery of his shady morals !Haubab is considered to be a gifted and passionate musician and has been playing guitar and singing professionally for over 30 years His course was designed to encompass all genres of music, teaching practical skills in both singing and playing an instrument, as well as guidance for musicians wishing to enter into the professional music industry and was open to all ages and abilities from all over Namibia, costing a measly $70 for an entire 5 day week of tuition.

The ready availability of the tuition and the obvious enthusiasm of the tutor resulted in a healthy enrolment of 30 people in the week long academy, and the positive responses that the would be musicians gave at the certificate ceremony was testimony to the level of skill and information that they had learned from the music theory course.

However only a small number of under 18’s attended the music course, despite encouragement from local schools and churches in the area. The low attendance numbers of youths suggest one of two things; either that the event was not properly promoted resulting in a lack of knowledge about what was being offered or, perhaps more worryingly, the majority of Lüderitz’s youth were aware of the academy but we not interested in attending the course, therefore contradicting the, very public, demands for recreational activities voiced in early February.