Under-fire minister of higher education, technology and innovation Itah Kandjii-Murangi yesterday defended herself against accusations of corruption and malfeasance levelled against her by Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda.
In a statement released by the ministry yesterday, she said there was nothing untoward about receiving subsistence and travel (S&T) allowances from various state institutions under her ministry.
Kandjii-Murangi allegedly claimed hefty S&T allowances from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust), the University of Namibia (Unam), the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
Amupanda claims Kandjii-Murangi pocketed a total of N$1,5 million from these institutions.
“When organising events or attending activities within our functional scope, the public institutions as well as the ministry approach each to assist in covering costs related to these activities or events.
“There is nothing peculiar to this process,” reads the statement.
The ministry says Kandjii-Murangi was invited formally to a number of events in 2022 and 2023, and that these were duly approved and funded “as per internal processes of government”.
She attended a conference of ministers of education in South Korea, and Jamaica’s 60th independence celebrations as part of a delegation led by president Hage Geingob.
The minister was also invited to New York by Unesco’s assistant director general for social and human sciences, and to the Unesco office in Paris, according to the ministry.
“It is very unfortunate that several allegations have been made in various newspapers, including the misleading article in Namibian Sun of 11 July 2023. There is a difference between Unesco and the National Commission for Unesco (Natcom).”
“The local Natcom office did not divert project money to pay the honourable minister. The Unesco in Paris, the regional office in Harare, and the Unesco Windhoek office have a long, solid and excellent relationship with the Republic of Namibia.
“And nothing has changed in this regard,” the ministry says.
It says all internal administrative processes were followed in all payments made to Kandjii-Murangi.
“Lastly, the executive director of the ministry has the authority to recoup any wrong payments or any overpayments made to any staff member of political office-bearers after reconciling all documents.”
BACKLASH
Meanwhile, the S&T issue reached the floor of the National Assembly yesterday afternoon when Landless People’s Movement (LPM) parliamentarian Utaara Mootu confronted the minister.
Mootu asked Kandjii-Murangi to disclose to the house whether policies and procedures existed permitting ministers to solicit travelling S&Ts from parastatals.
She wanted the minister to inform the house on the mechanisms in place to ensure that taxpayers’ money is not spent on unproductive trips, and that corruption is limited.
Mootu asked to be furnished with the number of ministers who have benefited from requesting S&Ts from parastatals, and at what value.
She asked for this information to be made public.
“If such requests are provided for via a policy, why has it not been reported back to the august house during budget debates?
“This raises concerns, because the university has a history of targeting disadvantaged students who failed to pay tuition fees at a value that is lower than the amount dished out to the minister by the university.
“Furthermore, the kleptocratic nature of some ministers to loot state resources under the disguise of S&Ts is alarming,” Mootu said.
MORE QUESTIONS RAISED
Public policy analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah says the ministry’s response has raised more questions.
“It seems there is a trend according to which the minister in question was asking institutions under her to cover her trips.
“So the question is whether processes and procedures were followed. Why is it that any time the minister travels she goes to those institutions that she handles to cover her trips, even though it would be paid back?
“The question is: What is happening at the ministry that they cannot cover her travelling allowances? Some of those institutions are struggling financially and are unable to pay for essential services like research, teaching and community engagement, as in the case of Nust and Unam,” he says.
DBN MUM ON REPAYMENT
Meanwhile, Martin Inkumbi, the chief executive of the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN), yesterday declined to say whether Kandjii-Murangi has started repaying a loan advanced to her Namibia Impact College CC, which was extended to her by the bank nearly 12 years ago.
Amupanda is also accusing the minister of failing to service her loan obligations to the bank, which has taken her to court.
“Regrettably, it is against bank policy to divulge or discuss specific details of a loan transaction or agreement without a borrower’s express consent. The bank is committed to uphold client-borrower confidentiality,” Inkumbi said.
According to High Court documents, Namibia Impact College was extended a loan of N2,9 million by the DBN in February 2011 for a vehicle, furniture and working capital.
An interest rate of 2% was applicable to the loan.
In August 2015, the DBN approved the college’s application to restructure the terms of the loan.
This involved that the interest on the loan be paid in equal monthly instalments of N$18 000, and the capital and interest be paid in instalments of N$1 666 per month.
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