National Youth Council executive chairperson Sharonice Busch is accused of holding onto the job, in contravention of the Electoral Act.
The Electoral Act requires civil servants to take leave once they appear on lists of political parties contesting the National Assembly elections.
Sources at the council claim that she has allegedly installed her proxy into her position to enable her to dictate affairs from outside.
They are accusing her of sidelining her deputy, Josef Petrus van der Westhuizen.
NYC sources state that Busch’s name was gazetted on 12 November 2024, which means she should have taken leave on the next day. However, “she is holding on for dear life”, they claim.
In a letter dated 13 November 2024, seen by this reporter, youth minister Agnes Tjongarero directed Busch to take leave, as required by law. “As you are aware, pursuant to Section 77(4)(a)(i) of the Electoral Act,
Act No. 05 of 2014 (as amended), and in accordance with the relevant articles of the Namibian Constitution, all remunerated members of the public service are required to take leave – paid or otherwise – when assuming such parliamentary roles. In light of this, I kindly remind you to take the necessary leave to comply with these legal requirements. Your prompt attention to this matter will ensure adherence to the provisions set forth in the Electoral Act,” the minister reminded her.
In an email thread among the NYC’s top brass, Busch delegated the functions and powers of executive chairperson to NYC board member Eva Awases until the conclusion of next week’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“I will draw up a signed delegation of authority that will guide your scope of work. You can consult me at any given time, and rely on my unconditional support during this period,” she stated in an email.
Awases is also a board member of Bridgehead, which is an NYC subsidiary. She served on the interim board in 2020 which oversaw the restructuring process, which ultimately catapulted Busch to the summit of the youth body.
Dispute
Busch’s delegation of power to Awases has left other officials fuming, as she was allegedly supposed to hand over the duties to the vice chairperson, Van der Westhuizen.
“When she eventually took leave, she appointed someone other than the vice chairperson to act on her behalf, with the condition that she remains in consultation,” said an aggrieved council staff member.
The staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that Busch “wants to remain in effective control of the institution, so she appointed someone she can control.”
On Tuesday, Awases was allegedly asked to recommend approval for payment of refreshments and transport for people who participated in a constituency conference in Okahandja. “A few moments later, she said she had been told not to sign anything until Sharonice got back to her,” said the highly-placed source before questioning “why is she on leave if she’s still in charge?”
Back to the email thread, NYC acting director Sircca Nghitila raised concerns about Busch’s alleged interference in council matters, despite being on leave. “Unfortunately, the use of the words ‘deemed to be on leave’ in the Act means that you are effectively already on leave, and any decision you make is null and void,” Nghitila wrote to Busch.
“In my earnest view, the letter from the minister [Tjongarero] aligns with the law and serves as a reminder for the executive chairperson, as the head of the institution, to comply with the provisions of the law”, she added.
Nghitila further emphasised the urgent need for the vice chairperson of the board to be given delegated executive functions, especially given the ongoing restructuring process. However, Busch responded on 15 November.
“I am accessible by email today to recommend or approve any submissions within my office. I will deal with the minister’s letter on Monday”, she said. Nghitila reiterated her support for the minister’s letter, saying, “Having read the letter from the minister, I have reviewed the Electoral Act, and it appears the minister is correct that you are required to go on leave as soon as the gazetting is completed.”
“Considering the number of submissions for constituency youth forums requiring the recommendation of the executive chairperson, I strongly suggest delegating your executive functions to the next most senior office-bearer, the vice chairperson of the board”, she reiterated.
Right of reply
Busch defended her decisions in a detailed response yesterday. “I was on an official trip to Malawi, and returned on Friday afternoon. On Monday morning, I was sick, and got discharged around 10h30. By 12h00, I received a response from my assistant that the minister [Agnes Tjongarero] needed a reply. On the same day, I convened a consultative board platform because we cannot go for an extraordinary board meeting without involving the finance minister (Iipumbu Shiimi),” she justified. Busch added that there was a discussion on who should act in her stead.
No one opposed the decision to select Awases. The Act is silent on how a vacancy in Busch’s office should be filled, she maintained.
“Remember, past practice during [the late] Mandela Kapere’s tenure showed that when he went to Parliament, it was under the old Electoral Act. He only resigned afterwards when he was notified that he made the list. The only instance during Mandela’s tenure when he stopped his duties was when he went to Parliament,” she observed.
She added that usually when she goes on leave, the vice chairperson takes over.
“That is past practice. I am not compelled to do so,” she noted, adding that her reservation about her deputy not acting was not because she does not believe in his capabilities, but because he is already the chairperson of the restructuring process.
“We are currently restructuring, and one cannot be both the player and the referee at the same time. If any young person feels the process was not transparent or that they didn’t get a fair chance, they will need to appeal. If my vice chairperson is chairing
the restructuring process, he would be wearing two hats,” she said.
Given this, she preferred someone who is not part of the process, and is also outgoing.
“It is my conviction that I didn’t make the wrong decision because of the process
we are currently undertaking. Political processes are highly-charged, and young people want to be certain they have been given a fair chance,” the youth leader said.
She also hinted that she is outgoing, and has no particular interest in maintaining her position. Last month, President Nangolo Mbumba signed into law the new Electoral Act, which will allow public servants to take leave after being nominated to their political party’s Parliament list while elections are concluding.
In the past, civil servants who appeared on the Parliamentary lists of their political parties were forced to resign from their positions. The amended law states that if an individual is elected to the National Assembly, they will be considered to have resigned. But if they are not elected, they can return to work. Busch is at number 49 on the Swapo parliamentary list.