NSFAF: Letter is malicious, derogatory

The management of the beleaguered Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) says it is confident that an anonymous letter doing the rounds on social media, making damning allegations against certain staff members, did not emanate from its rank and file.

The letter, sent to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on 7 June, alleges malpractice and possible corrupt or fraudulent activities by the acting CEO, Kennedy Kandume, and a number of other staff members. It also alleges the use of company resources for “political messages”. One such alleged message inserted in the letter suggests that NSFAF “was linked to Team Swapo”. While the author or authors of the letter pretend to be concerned internal whistle-blowers and junior staff members, the NSFAF management says that is unlikely because its content reflects knowledge of discussions that took place at management level. The management says the letter is “derogatory and malicious” and aims at creating the impression that the current situation at the company is intolerable and that staff are unhappy.



Analysis

The NSFAF management held a press briefing yesterday to address the letter.

Its head of corporate affairs, Olavi Hamwele, said the letter appeared to be an attempt to sow suspicion, disunity and distrust among the workforce.

He said it targeted staff listed for interviews in the ongoing forensic investigation at the institution.

While the management said the letter could not have originated from within, Hamwele said it appeared to be from someone at management level or someone from outside who did not have the company's best interest at heart. Hamwele said it was a deliberate attempt to cast doubt on the current management and to paint it as incompetent. He said junior staff had platforms to use to air their grievances.

The management said it did not see suspended CEO Hilya Nghiwete's hand in the letter.



ACC considering it

“Everything is fine at NSFAF at this stage but we welcome an investigation by the ACC,” Hamwele said.

ACC chief investigator Nelius Becker confirmed receipt of the letter and said the ACC was still “deliberating on the matter”.

The board chairperson of NSFAF, Jerome Mutumba, said there was “nothing new” about the allegations. “Much of that stays at the centre of the alleged maladministration levelled at the substantive leadership of the organisation before the new board came on board. Unfortunately I cannot comment on rumours,” Mutumba said.



Performance

Acting CEO Kandume said the NSFAF's 2018 awarding of student loans had been completed and letters to inform the successful applicants were being written.

This year NSFAF will give funding to 9 726 students at tertiary institutions. It also considered the applications of 4 480 others to attend vocational training centres.

For 2019 plans are under way to start the application process as early as September so that students can receive their letters before the start of the new academic year. Kandume said that would allow them to register as students without having to pay registration fees. He said NSFAF would report back to the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts on the alleged unaccounted for N$1.7 billion by September. Kandume said to lay the matter to rest management had embarked upon a document retrieval and reconciliation exercise involving tertiary institutions to which the funds have been paid out. He further said the relationship between the new board and management had improved, and staff welcomed the internal investigation and supported an expansion of its scope should the need arise.

CATHERINE SASMAN