Shivute ‘unshaken’ by political bullies

Namibia Revenue Authority (NamRA) commissioner Sam Shivute says he is not intimidated by political entities who are baying for his blood following the agency’s recent actions against counterfeit goods.The Swapo Party Youth League, Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) and opposition figures such as Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani are among those who have shown disdain over the authority’s actions.NamRA destroyed counterfeit items worth N$5 million early this month, prompting a public outcry and xenophobic threats against Chinese businesses.NEFF commissar Michael Amushelelo and Affirmative Repositioning activist Dimbulukeni Nauyoma were arrested and remain in police custody after threatening to close down and even burn down shops at Chinatown.NamRA has insisted it has a legal mandate that it will continue to fulfil without fear of favour.Shivute said threats against him will not cow him into silence, saying he has faced this kind of harassment all his professional life.Yesterday, he denied social media allegations that he is in a business relationship Chinese-born tycoon Stina Wu, who owns some of the properties at Chinatown.“I remain focused at the task at hand at NamRA. Those baseless and unfounded allegations are part of the false narrative that is being advanced by those who want to weaken NamRA,” he said.‘Nothing shakes me’In an interview on The Evening Review on Wednesday, Shivute said he had been threatened before by dangerous criminals, but never wavered from doing his job.“All my life, for the past 27 years, I have been a public servant, waking up to serve the Namibian government. Nothing shakes me; nobody can intimidate me. “I have been threatened before; I have been threatened by dangerous criminals; those who were there 27 years ago when I joined the Namibian Police,” Shivute said. His job required nerves of steel, leaving little room for him to be shaken, he added. “This job requires someone who cannot be intimidated or be shaken, either by a political formation or by criminals,” he said.EtitiIn a recent social media post, Shivute said no threats made against him or his colleagues would stand, after his name had been placed in a traditional bowl, a ritual supposedly meant to harm someone. “No amount of threats or intimidation will stop us from fulfilling our legal mandate. Even the threats to put some of us in ‘etiti’ or praying for our downfall will not succeed. “We are divinely protected, working in a divine order. No individual is bigger than a system. We are a system working collectively and in unison,” Shivute said on his Facebook page. No connectionMeanwhile, Wu denied benefitting from her relationship with Shivute, saying that she had been inspired by one of the books he had written. According to her, she had no business dealings with Shivute. “I got to know him because of a book he wrote a few years ago, which I appreciated, and we had no contact for more than three years,” she said, adding that she could not remember when their initial meeting was.

Shivute ‘unshaken’ by political bullies

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Shivute ‘unshaken’ by political bullies

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