Muinjangue rapped over knuckles for private office appointments

MATHIAS HAUFIKU and JEMIMA BEUKES



WINDHOEK

National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) president Utjiua Muinjangue’s leadership is being tested after senior party members accused her of employing her political cronies in her office at the health ministry.

She is facing accusations of nepotism after appointing political ally Elia Kandjii as her personal assistant and the wife of the party’s deputy secretary-general Stefanie Uapingene as her secretary.

Kandjii, the party’s national chairperson, has been Muinjangue’s ally since her journey to the top echelons of the party started.

In a petition to Nudo leadership last month, signed by aggrieved party members, Muinjangue is accused of appointing the duo to advance her political interests.

“[The] national chairperson supported the move [Muinjangue’s appointment] because he had long-term goals of becoming the personal assistant to the deputy minister to gain personally and move to Windhoek where his wife resides. The deputy secretary-general’s wife was employed as a secretary of the deputy minister, which was beneficial to comrade Uapingene,” the petition read.

‘I can appoint anyone’

Muinjangue disputed this, saying she is “not in the business of appointing people”. Instead, appointments are done by the Public Service Commission of Namibia, she said.

“Yes, I have the prerogative to appoint whoever I want as my personal assistant. And, yes, I see absolutely nothing wrong with the appointment of Stefanie, because I can appoint anyone I want to appoint in my office,” she said.

According to her, Kandjii was already part of the system and was appointed because of his ability and qualifications.

Nudo-Swapo marriage

The concerned Nudo members claim Muinjangue’s decision to accept her appointment as deputy health minister was done without consulting the party and that it is a move that is “beneficial to the individuals within the top nine”.

The group’s spokesperson, Benestus Uahupirapi, also accused the party’s deputy president Peter Kazongomuinja of brokering the deal that landed Muinjangue the deputy minister job.

Kazongomuinja is the incumbent councillor of the Aminius constituency after his re-election last year. He is also a member of the National Council from the Omaheke Region.

“This process was again spearheaded by the deputy president because he wanted to get the position of National Council in Parliament, hence he wanted to sell the party’s image simply because of his personal gain,” the petition read.

Swapo currently holds five of the seven seats on the Omaheke regional council, while the remaining seats are occupied by Nudo.

Despite having the control of who to send to the National Council from the region, Swapo sent two of its own councillors and Kazongomuinja from Nudo.

According to the petition, “the deputy president [Kazongomuinja] was instrumental in the negotiations as he was preparing a good relationship with Swapo, hence he wanted [to] buy face with Swapo for them to resend him to the National Council if he was to make it through the Nudo primaries”.

The group also claims that after last year’s regional council and local authority elections, the Muinjangue-led leadership advocated for Nudo’s newly-elected officials to cooperate with Swapo in Okakarara, Gobabis, Omaruru and Windhoek.

Muinjangue said she has not seen the petition, added that the allegations are unfounded and just part of a witch-hunt.