ACC is 'confused' - Hanse-Himarwa

The Windhoek High Court has heard how former Hardap governor and current basic education minister, Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, intervened at the eleventh hour to ensure that two initial beneficiaries of a Mariental mass housing project were replaced.

Hanse-Himarwa pleaded not guilty to corruption charges in terms of the Anti-Corruption Act yesterday. Hanse-Himarwa's plea explanation also claimed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) docket is “full of confusing allegations”.

“There seems to have been a desperate attempt to charge me at all costs when there is no evidence whatsoever.”

It is alleged that during her tenure as regional governor she corruptly used her office or position to obtain gratification for herself or another person.

It is alleged she allocated two houses to her relatives, at the expense of two other initial beneficiaries in 2014.

The first witness called to the stand yesterday was urban and rural development permanent secretary Nghidinua Daniel.

The mass housing development, initiated by former president Hifikepunye Pohamba in 2013, resorts under Daniel's ministry.

The project, which faltered before being rejuvenated, aims to see

185 000 houses built by 2030 across the country.

Daniel put it on record that the mass housing beneficiaries were chosen based on a “first come, first served” basis, to ensure fairness and transparency to those who has applied first for the provision of housing in the different regions.





According to him, a team was dispatched to Mariental, whose mandate was to verify the beneficiary list query and to According to him, a team was dispatched to Mariental, whose mandate was to verify the beneficiary list query and to arrange the logistics for the official handing over ceremony in 2014.

“They went there to establish if there was a list and to verify the list of beneficiaries. Their focus was largely on the municipality (town council), which keeps the list. The point of reference was the municipality, because people apply through the municipality. The people who applied first must ordinarily be put on the list first,” he said.

Daniel added that Hanse-Himarwa, who was Hardap governor at the time, said she was unhappy with the list and felt that as the political head of the region, the expectation was that she should have been involved in the process.

A meeting was then called, which was held in Hanse-Himarwa's office, hours before the official handover ceremony took place.

“The accused expressed herself about being sidelined in the implementation of the mass housing project and made reference to the link between these types of products and the eradication of shacks.

“She said she was aware of people that were in dire need of houses and was not happy with the way the list that was presented to my team,” Daniel said.

He said the former governor had also indicated she was at the coalface of social issues and that she wanted two beneficiaries on the list replaced with two names.

This was communicated to him by Merrow Thaddius, who headed the ministerial team to Mariental.

Hanse-Himarwa said in her plea explanation that one of the new beneficiaries, Christiana Lorraine Hanse, is married to her brother, David Josef Hansen. Hanse-Himarwa, nevertheless denied that she used her office corruptly for her gratification.

“I did not insert anybody on the concerned list or give a directive to have somebody's name removed.”

According to Daniel, Hanse-Himarwa had also indicated that the new beneficiaries were disabled and desperately in need of homes.

Hanse-Himarwa claimed in her plea explanation that State witnesses Paulus Nghiwilepo (Mariental CEO) and Lydia Ganeb were “under constant pressure from agents of the ACC to make statements that incriminate me”.

She said at the time of the mass housing project nearing completion in 2014, she had been informed that in terms of law, she, as governor, would play a ceremonial role and nothing further - a function which was later carried out by the urban and rural development ministry.

“My office… was inundated at the relevant time with complaints from members of the public of the community to the effect that it appears officials of the Mariental town council, without the involvement of the council, as required, were not acting fairly and equitably in allocating houses to the beneficiaries, who may be receiving the housing during or about December 2014.”

The second State witness in the matter called yesterday was ministry accountant Cassius Ndisiro, who told the court the team received the Mariental municipality waiting list from Nghiwilepo, from which they had used to compile the final list of 19 beneficiaries for the social houses, which they then handed to Nghiwilepo.

“The CEO told us that two of the names were removed and replaced by the honourable governor. He only told us that the names that were removed were Piet Fransman, who was number five on the list, and Regina Kuhlman, who was on number 16. They were replaced with Christiana Hanse and Justina Gowases,” he said.

This had happened prior to Hanse-Himarwa's meeting with Daniel.

According to Ndisiro, they called in the beneficiaries to brief them and inform them what their erf numbers were and made them sign their contracts.

“The CEO then told us to call in Piet Fransman and nullify his contract and inform him that he will be part of the next group,” he said.

The official handover took place on 17 December 2014.

Sisa Namandje is representing Hanse-Himarwa, while the state is represented by Salomon Kanyemba and Constance Moyo.

The matter continues before Judge Christie Liebenberg.

JEMIMA BEUKES