Amsterdam - Crown Prince Willem Alexander of the Netherlands came under fire from some of his staunchest supporters on Monday for building a luxury villa in the impoverished southern African country of Mozambique. "It is most unfortunate to pick a country as poor as Mozambique as your holiday destination, particularly if you do so for privacy reasons," the chairman of the so-called Orange associations Michiel Zonnevyle told the daily Volkskrant.
Orange associations, known as the staunchest supporters of the royals, are responsible for, among other things, coordinating local festivities and ceremonies marking events that involve the monarchy, such as Queen's Day.
"Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and Queen Beatrix should discuss the matter," he said. "I would value the cancellation of this project enormously."
Balkenende, in response to lawmakers' criticism of the project, has said Willem Alexander and his wife Maxima would not cancel their plans in Mozambique.
Zonnevyle said the villa project has caused heated debate among the Netherlands' biggest Orange fans.
"I fully understand this," he added.
The royal couple are among a small group of wealthy investors involved in developing a small luxury estate that includes 220 villas and a five-star holiday resort on the Machangula peninsula in southern Mozambique.
Both the prince and the property developer, Panorama, have said the project would benefit the local population, since the construction of schools and a local clinic formed part of the project.
Critics however have expressed doubt, saying nearby villages would still not have electricity, water or sanitation facilities.
On September 20, Dutch television channel RTL reported that a land dispute had resulted in a shoot-out between Panorama's builders and locals in Machangula.
RTL said Panorama had claimed more land from local landowners for the luxury resort than previously agreed. The Mozambican army intervened, but could not prevent the incident.
