GM insults security guards
Employees go for months without pay
KEITH VRIES
A general manager of a security company operating under the auspices of the National Youth Service (NYC) has come under fire for allegedly swearing at employees who were demanding their monthly salaries.
Employees of Youth Security Services (YSS), which is privately managed, claim they have not been paid for two months.
Their spokesperson, Matheus Shapopi, told Namibian Sun that he was insulted in a text message when he enquired about payment from George Likukela, who is the general manager of the company.
“Stop disturbing me. You will get your f***ng money, you morons,” Likukela reportedly responded.
The security guard had sent Likukela two messages expressing disappointment about the fact that their salaries have been consistently late, sometimes by two months.
“Please inform us so that we can make alternative arrangements in advance, because you never let us know what is wrong, but always say you don’t know why the salaries are late,” Shapopi said in the note to Likukela.
Shapopi told Namibian Sun that he had to borrow money from several family members to get by, saying that he supports five children who depend on his income.
Shapopi claimed that during one of the months he was not paid one of his sons died, and he approached YSS for money owed to him. He was told to wait like everybody else and had to borrow money from his uncle in Rietfontein.
Likukela refused to comment, saying he was instructed not to talk to the media.
The YSS staff are said to earn N$2 400 a month before deductions.
“We work for N$80 a day, but if you miss work for whatever circumstances, and you are not able to give a sick letter or doctor’s letter, they deduct N$200 from your salary. How does that make sense?” Shapopi asked.
NYS commissioner Onesmus Upindi said his institution was experiencing cash-flow problems at the moment.
“Government is one of our main clients, and it seems that the Ministry of Youth and the Ministry of Lands sometimes experience cash-flow problems and don’t pay us on time, that is why we experience the same problems and therefore can’t pay the employees,” Upindi said.
He assured Namibian Sun that Likukela would be brought to book.
“We are going to deal with the matter accordingly using internal policy and procedure, and will make sure that this does not happen again,” he said.
Mandela Kapere, the executive chairperson of the National Youth Council, condemned Likukela’s alleged actions and added that “young people don’t deserve to be spoken to like that.”
“It is very regretful that this is the manner in which the situation was handled,” Kapere said.
A general manager of a security company operating under the auspices of the National Youth Service (NYC) has come under fire for allegedly swearing at employees who were demanding their monthly salaries.
Employees of Youth Security Services (YSS), which is privately managed, claim they have not been paid for two months.
Their spokesperson, Matheus Shapopi, told Namibian Sun that he was insulted in a text message when he enquired about payment from George Likukela, who is the general manager of the company.
“Stop disturbing me. You will get your f***ng money, you morons,” Likukela reportedly responded.
The security guard had sent Likukela two messages expressing disappointment about the fact that their salaries have been consistently late, sometimes by two months.
“Please inform us so that we can make alternative arrangements in advance, because you never let us know what is wrong, but always say you don’t know why the salaries are late,” Shapopi said in the note to Likukela.
Shapopi told Namibian Sun that he had to borrow money from several family members to get by, saying that he supports five children who depend on his income.
Shapopi claimed that during one of the months he was not paid one of his sons died, and he approached YSS for money owed to him. He was told to wait like everybody else and had to borrow money from his uncle in Rietfontein.
Likukela refused to comment, saying he was instructed not to talk to the media.
The YSS staff are said to earn N$2 400 a month before deductions.
“We work for N$80 a day, but if you miss work for whatever circumstances, and you are not able to give a sick letter or doctor’s letter, they deduct N$200 from your salary. How does that make sense?” Shapopi asked.
NYS commissioner Onesmus Upindi said his institution was experiencing cash-flow problems at the moment.
“Government is one of our main clients, and it seems that the Ministry of Youth and the Ministry of Lands sometimes experience cash-flow problems and don’t pay us on time, that is why we experience the same problems and therefore can’t pay the employees,” Upindi said.
He assured Namibian Sun that Likukela would be brought to book.
“We are going to deal with the matter accordingly using internal policy and procedure, and will make sure that this does not happen again,” he said.
Mandela Kapere, the executive chairperson of the National Youth Council, condemned Likukela’s alleged actions and added that “young people don’t deserve to be spoken to like that.”
“It is very regretful that this is the manner in which the situation was handled,” Kapere said.
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