Windhoek
The beleaguered former head of the Namibia Institute of Public Administration (Nipam), Professor Joseph Diescho – who was recently shown the door – lost more than half of his N$3.6 million severance payout over monies allegedly owed to Nipam and government.
Official documents seen by New Era detail how Diescho’s severance package was reduced from N$3.6 million to N$1.1 million and also indicate that Diescho has opted to keep the Mercedes Benz ML6.3 bought for him by Nipam.
The debts reportedly include outstanding rentals, to municipal, cellphone and vehicle bills.
Nipam sources said Diescho’s payout was transferred into his account a week before Christmas on December 18 last year.
Diescho’s lawyers from Koep and Partners law firm said their client “accepted this payment on a without prejudice basis.”
“His position is that certain compensation is still due to him by Nipam as a result of his unfair dismissal.
“Money is still due to our client and we are currently engaged in negotiations with the attorneys acting for Nipam in respect of what is still due,” said one of the law firm’s partners, Stephen Vlieghe.
Asked whether Diescho is satisfied with the deductions made relating to municipal, rent, cellphone and vehicle bills, Vlieghe said: “No. The deductions are in dispute and are the subject of the ongoing negotiations previously referred to.”
Vlieghe warned that if Diescho is not paid all the monies owed to him as a result of his unfair dismissal he will file a labour dispute.
Vlieghe also denied claims that the legal firm wrote to Nipam in December agreeing with Nipam’s proposal that Diescho step down.
“No. The communication by our firm was subject to certain conditions. These conditions were not accepted by Nipam,” he explained further.
Diescho was among the highest paid parastatal bosses in the country, with an annual salary of N$1.8 million.
According to Nipam, Diescho – who earned N$150 000 per month – owes Windhoek Municipality N$258 000 for municipal services and the Office of the Prime Minister N$108 000 for rent.
Diescho has said his recent misfortunes stem mainly from Nipam chairman George Simataa and other senior politicians, who are opposed to his weekly column in New Era.
In a recent letter, copies of which Diescho shared with the media, he blames Simataa – who is also secretary to Cabinet – for orchestrating his dismissal, and of failing to act in good faith, as per the agreement he and Simataa reached on December 8.
According to Diescho both parties had agreed not to speak ill of the other, and not to speak to the media until a joint statement was issued.
Diescho contends his dismissal from Nipam was politically motivated, because of the manner in which he was “defamed and character assassinated in public”.
He said speculation about his dismissal was “rife in the body politic of our nation even before anything happened that there was something afoot from high offices because of my ‘lack of loyalty’ and my intellectual independence”.
After receiving an avalanche of queries on the Diescho issue from the media, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila’s office confirmed that it has received representations from Professor Diescho relating to his dispute with Nipam.
The prime minister said in a statement on Monday that she is taking advice on the matter and would thereafter be able to respond to Diescho and the queries advanced by various media houses.
Meanwhile, DTA leader McHenry Venaani gave notice in the National Assembly yesterday that he would ask Kuugongelwa-Amadhila about claims that there was never any Nipam council meeting to deliberate on Diescho’s performance.
Venaani also wants the PM to clarify whether Diescho was really given 15 hours to accept an offer of cordial and mutual termination of his employment with Nipam.
“Since when is expulsion the natural consequence of an employee failing to pay for rent or utilities?” Venaani asked.
“There is sufficient evidence of senior government officials who owed and continue to owe huge municipal bills and are also behind on their house payments, especially where a house was bought directly from government, and yet their jobs were never in jeopardy,” he said.
Venaani also asked the PM to confirm whether it is true that former Nipam council chairman Frans Kapofi advised Professor Diescho to desist from writing his critical weekly column, ‘Diescho’s Dictum’?
Additional reporting by Selma Ikela