ECN says payments complete, officials still searching for allowances
Complaint lodged with Office of the Ombudsman
Despite assurances from the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) that all payments to election officials who worked during the November 2025 local authority and regional council elections have been finalised, many officials remain dissatisfied, insisting they are still owed money.
ECN stated on 8 January that final payments for more than 18 000 election officials were processed during the week of 22 December 2025, and that allowances were paid strictly for work actually performed.
“All submitted attendance registers were verified and processed accordingly,” said ECN spokesperson De Wet Siluka in a statement signed by chief executive officer Peter Shaama.
Siluka reiterated on Tuesday that payments had been completed, adding that only cases involving incorrect bank details — where funds were returned — were still being addressed.
However, dissatisfied election officials disputed this claim as early as 9 January, describing Shaama’s remarks as untrue.
A formal complaint was lodged with the Office of the Ombudsman on 11 January 2026. In the complaint, officials requested the Ombudsman’s intervention to ensure allowances are recalculated to reflect the full number of days worked, including deployment, training, polling-day duties, vote counting and other official assignments.
“We respectfully request that the Ombudsman investigate this matter. ECN must recalculate and pay all outstanding amounts owed to us. Should this not occur, we request that the matter be referred to the courts for resolution,” the complaint, seen by Namibian Sun, states.
Among the grievances are claims that employment contracts were only issued on the final day of work, while some regions — including Zambezi (Sibbinda, Katima Rural and Kabbe South constituencies) and Oshikoto (Guinas constituency) — allegedly did not receive contracts at all.
The contracts, which election officials say should have been issued on 7 November 2025, reflected working days from 23 to 29 November, despite some officials reporting for duty as early as 19 November.
Officials further allege that training conducted between 7 and 15 November — and in some cases until 16 November — took place without clarity on remuneration. Additional training from 19 to 22 November was also not reflected in the contracts.
“Based on our interpretation of the contract, the ECN should have paid all presiding officers who began training on 7 November and worked until 19 November 2025 the same amount, but payments varied,” the complaint states.
“The same applies to polling officials. The contract does not specify that payment should differ by location; nevertheless, many officials across the country were underpaid.”
The officials are also seeking clarity on why some presiding officers in the Khomas Region received payments of N$563 on 7 January 2026, what those payments were for, and why others were not paid in full. They further question why certain working days were allegedly omitted from official attendance records.
“From the outset, the ECN was aware of our complaints,” the officials said.
The complaint also alleges intimidation.
“We feel that the ECN exploited our need for employment to the detriment of hardworking individuals, including pregnant women, who were simply trying to provide for their families. We faced threats of being excluded from future ECN work simply because we are seeking what is rightfully owed to us,” it states.
Investigators from the Office of the Ombudsman have since confirmed to Namibian Sun that the matter is under investigation and that individual claims are being verified.
ECN stated on 8 January that final payments for more than 18 000 election officials were processed during the week of 22 December 2025, and that allowances were paid strictly for work actually performed.
“All submitted attendance registers were verified and processed accordingly,” said ECN spokesperson De Wet Siluka in a statement signed by chief executive officer Peter Shaama.
Siluka reiterated on Tuesday that payments had been completed, adding that only cases involving incorrect bank details — where funds were returned — were still being addressed.
However, dissatisfied election officials disputed this claim as early as 9 January, describing Shaama’s remarks as untrue.
A formal complaint was lodged with the Office of the Ombudsman on 11 January 2026. In the complaint, officials requested the Ombudsman’s intervention to ensure allowances are recalculated to reflect the full number of days worked, including deployment, training, polling-day duties, vote counting and other official assignments.
“We respectfully request that the Ombudsman investigate this matter. ECN must recalculate and pay all outstanding amounts owed to us. Should this not occur, we request that the matter be referred to the courts for resolution,” the complaint, seen by Namibian Sun, states.
Among the grievances are claims that employment contracts were only issued on the final day of work, while some regions — including Zambezi (Sibbinda, Katima Rural and Kabbe South constituencies) and Oshikoto (Guinas constituency) — allegedly did not receive contracts at all.
The contracts, which election officials say should have been issued on 7 November 2025, reflected working days from 23 to 29 November, despite some officials reporting for duty as early as 19 November.
Officials further allege that training conducted between 7 and 15 November — and in some cases until 16 November — took place without clarity on remuneration. Additional training from 19 to 22 November was also not reflected in the contracts.
“Based on our interpretation of the contract, the ECN should have paid all presiding officers who began training on 7 November and worked until 19 November 2025 the same amount, but payments varied,” the complaint states.
“The same applies to polling officials. The contract does not specify that payment should differ by location; nevertheless, many officials across the country were underpaid.”
The officials are also seeking clarity on why some presiding officers in the Khomas Region received payments of N$563 on 7 January 2026, what those payments were for, and why others were not paid in full. They further question why certain working days were allegedly omitted from official attendance records.
“From the outset, the ECN was aware of our complaints,” the officials said.
The complaint also alleges intimidation.
“We feel that the ECN exploited our need for employment to the detriment of hardworking individuals, including pregnant women, who were simply trying to provide for their families. We faced threats of being excluded from future ECN work simply because we are seeking what is rightfully owed to us,” it states.
Investigators from the Office of the Ombudsman have since confirmed to Namibian Sun that the matter is under investigation and that individual claims are being verified.
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