Auleria Wakudumo
The professional and danger allowances for aircraft technicians employed by the Namibian Air Force remain unpaid since April.
There has been no response regarding the matter till date. Allowances range from N$1 090 to N$1 800 for lower-ranking technicians, but those in some ranks receive up to N$4 500 a month.
Some technicians said they had acquired items such as houses, cars, and loans through the banks, so the non-payment of the allowance had affected them negatively.
“I feel so sad because my furniture, my freezer, and my bed were repossessed because I could not afford paying my monthly installments anymore,” an affected technician said.
“If the money previously reflected on your payslip is no longer there, even as little as N$10, this can ruin your budget,” the technician said.
“It has been seven months now, and we still don’t know why the allowance was discontinued,” another artisan added. They said what irked them the most is the fact that they did not get any documentation to instruct the banks to restructure their debit orders.
Responding to the concerns, defence spokesperson Petrus Shilumbu confirmed that payments. of allowances was stopped for some members.
A professional allowance is paid to employees to cover expenses related to their professional duties, and a danger allowance is paid to those who work in hazardous conditions.
“The deduction was done automatically by the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises,” Shilumbu said. He added that the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs is yet to receive written communication from the finance ministry about the allowance payments.
“The ministry is currently consulting the Office of the Prime Minister and the ministry of finance on the matter,” Shilumbu said. Earlier in June, some employees allegedly received a backpay to April.
When the disgruntled technicians enquired about this backpay, they were allegedly told those were the lucky ones.
“We approached our commanders, and they said we must consult the Ministry of Finance; at the finance ministry, we were told they also just received a directive from the Office of the Prime Minister to stop the allowances,” another said.
When asked for further comment, Shilumbu said the issue is an internal matter to be resolved within the organisation. “There is nothing the ministry can do, and it does not mean when troops approach the media, the matter will be resolved,” Shilumbu stressed.
“I urge the members to be patient while the matter is being sorted out. The matter is being attended to,” Shilumbu said.