Katjavivi denies Diescho's allegation

National Assembly speaker Professor Peter Katjavivi has emphatically denied that he was responsible for Professor Joseph Diescho's non-participation at a Unesco conference last year.

Diescho, who left for Germany earlier this month while claiming a witch-hunt against him following a public feud with President Hage Geingob, claimed that Katjavivi had “advised” Unesco against his participation.

“Last year I was invited by Unesco to participate in a project. I was then told that the speaker of the National Assembly advised them that having me would not go down well with the State House. I could not even participate in the conference,” Diescho said in response to questions sent to him. Katjavivi in a letter to Namibian Sun said it was regrettable that he had not been given the opportunity to respond to Diescho's assertion in the article 'Diescho leaves the country' published on 5 February.

Commenting on Diescho's allegation, Katjavivi stated: “That is not true. I do not engage with partners regarding participants to their conferences. I also do not refer to the president or State House as some sort of leverage on matters.”

Katjavivi also deputed Diescho's claim that he had “gone into exile” in Germany, saying that he understood Diescho would be assisting in the organisation of a conference on Africa to be held in Germany.

“There is no African conference in Germany that I am aware of,” Diescho responded.

Catherine Sasman