PDM to pay parly rejects N$35 000 salary
Venaani says his party is responsible
The repercussions of PDM's dubious decision to amend its National Assembly list is forcing party leaders to sleep with one eye open, not knowing where the next blow might come from.
The leadership of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has resolved to pay a monthly salary of N$35 000 to each of its six members who were ejected from the National Assembly last month, despite widespread opposition from party ranks.
This decision was taken at a national executive committee (NEC) meeting, which took place on 11 June in Windhoek.
At least two NEC insiders - who spoke to Namibian Sun anonymously - confirmed the decision.
The ejected members are Esmerelda !Aebes, Pieter Mostert, Kazeongere Tjeundo, Geoffrey Mwilima, Johannes Martin and Timotheus Shilumbu.
They were replaced by Charmaine Tjirare, Hidipo Hamata, Reggie Diergaardt, Mike Venaani, Frans Bertolini, Yvette Araes and Maximiliant Katjimune.
It is understood that the N$35 000 monthly salary is only applicable for this month, as the party’s central committee will decide at its meeting next month on the way forward.
Red conflict-of-interest flags were raised because Mostert, Martin and !Aebes attended the NEC meeting that decided on their remuneration. There is a general feeling within the party ranks that the trio was supposed to recuse themselves from the proceedings.
Ad hoc arrangement
One of the insiders questioned the move, saying “the party’s compensation policy does not cater for such ad hoc arrangements”.
“Currently, party employees are underpaid and they are told many stories when they ask for a salary increment, but now there is suddenly money to pay these people. The money they benefitted illegally while in Parliament should serve as their compensation,” they said.
Another party insider said PDM is applying selective morality standards “to cover up its mess”.
PDM leader McHenry Venaani yesterday refused to confirm or deny the decision to pay the ejected members.
“The executive decisions of the party are not communicated on public platforms; this is an internal matter. The executive has decided to take the matter to the central committee, but the rumours you received are malicious because PDM is a responsible party,” he said.
Special treatment
At this stage, it is not clear where the party will get the funds from to afford the additional N$210 000 on its salary bill.
The move has seemingly split party leaders, with those opposing the decision asserting that the six members should not be given special treatment by receiving money they are not working for at the expense of the party.
Unconfirmed talks so far indicate that some of the members who were withdrawn from Parliament threatened to sue the party for loss of income, seeing that they left their full-time jobs to represent PDM in the National Assembly.
Three of the withdrawn members were teachers (!Aebes, Martin and Mwilima), while others worked as a regional councillor (Tjeundo), court interpreter (Shihumbu) and businessman (Mostert).
PDM was forced to change the composition of its parliamentarians after Tjirare and Hamata challenged the party’s decision to change its list of candidates for the National Assembly after the 2019 general polls, a process which their legal team labelled as ‘fraudulent’.
This decision was taken at a national executive committee (NEC) meeting, which took place on 11 June in Windhoek.
At least two NEC insiders - who spoke to Namibian Sun anonymously - confirmed the decision.
The ejected members are Esmerelda !Aebes, Pieter Mostert, Kazeongere Tjeundo, Geoffrey Mwilima, Johannes Martin and Timotheus Shilumbu.
They were replaced by Charmaine Tjirare, Hidipo Hamata, Reggie Diergaardt, Mike Venaani, Frans Bertolini, Yvette Araes and Maximiliant Katjimune.
It is understood that the N$35 000 monthly salary is only applicable for this month, as the party’s central committee will decide at its meeting next month on the way forward.
Red conflict-of-interest flags were raised because Mostert, Martin and !Aebes attended the NEC meeting that decided on their remuneration. There is a general feeling within the party ranks that the trio was supposed to recuse themselves from the proceedings.
Ad hoc arrangement
One of the insiders questioned the move, saying “the party’s compensation policy does not cater for such ad hoc arrangements”.
“Currently, party employees are underpaid and they are told many stories when they ask for a salary increment, but now there is suddenly money to pay these people. The money they benefitted illegally while in Parliament should serve as their compensation,” they said.
Another party insider said PDM is applying selective morality standards “to cover up its mess”.
PDM leader McHenry Venaani yesterday refused to confirm or deny the decision to pay the ejected members.
“The executive decisions of the party are not communicated on public platforms; this is an internal matter. The executive has decided to take the matter to the central committee, but the rumours you received are malicious because PDM is a responsible party,” he said.
Special treatment
At this stage, it is not clear where the party will get the funds from to afford the additional N$210 000 on its salary bill.
The move has seemingly split party leaders, with those opposing the decision asserting that the six members should not be given special treatment by receiving money they are not working for at the expense of the party.
Unconfirmed talks so far indicate that some of the members who were withdrawn from Parliament threatened to sue the party for loss of income, seeing that they left their full-time jobs to represent PDM in the National Assembly.
Three of the withdrawn members were teachers (!Aebes, Martin and Mwilima), while others worked as a regional councillor (Tjeundo), court interpreter (Shihumbu) and businessman (Mostert).
PDM was forced to change the composition of its parliamentarians after Tjirare and Hamata challenged the party’s decision to change its list of candidates for the National Assembly after the 2019 general polls, a process which their legal team labelled as ‘fraudulent’.
Comments
Harry Tjihukununa
lesson learned!