Mwoombola hits back at Haufiku

Former health permanent secretary Andreas Mwoombola has spoken out for the first time since his widely publicised standoff with his former boss Bernard Haufiku, which had threatened to compromise service delivery at the ministry. Mwoombola said statements made by the minister against him in public are unfounded and defamatory. “The Hon. Minister has accused me of financial mismanagement, irregular tender awarding, and potential conflicts of interest that were allegedly permitted by my office. These allegations are false and lack substantiation,” he said. “I strongly believe in the justice system and out rightly challenge the Hon. Minister to allow the disciplinary process to run its course without undue interference and without premature unfounded statements being made before any pronouncements are made.” Mwoombola, who was last week transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister, claimed in a statement that Haufiku has shown disrespectful behaviour towards him in front of junior colleagues. “The Deputy Minister, Hon. Juliet Kavetuna has attempted to mediate in order to restore a cordial working relationship between our offices and setting aside our personal differences. A meeting was held on the 15th of May 2017 but the meeting did not yield any positive results due to the Hon. Minister’s unwillingness to deal with the matter privately and fairly. Instead, he has chosen to force me out of the Ministry if I do not voluntarily resign, which I have vehemently refused to do,” he said. “It is unfortunate that our relationship has deteriorated to the point that it has become personal on the part of the Hon. Minister. There is definite ongoing victimisation and employer-employee relationships should be mutually respectful in order to realise productivity in the service of the Namibian public. As the Hon. Minister’s Accounting Officer, I have on several occasions raised the issue of his unbecoming conduct. The Hon. Minister has a tendency of yelling at me in the presence of my subordinates. He has created a culture of yelling. This behaviour is abusive. These constant verbal attacks have become very personal and are degrading and I find myself helpless in this situation.” Read full story in tomorrow's edition.

STAFF REPORTER