The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources and Community Development reprimanded the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) for not appearing before the committee previously.

They were expected to discuss issues about the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) strike, causing delays in parliamentary deliberations until next year.

Speaking furiously during the consultation meeting between the two parties yesterday, committee member Natangwe Ithete said the ministry’s refusal to report to the committee undermines its powers.

“This is honestly disappointing; we have the matter whereby people have lost their jobs, you are invited, and you choose not to come. That is uncalled for,” he stressed. 

Without mincing his words, Ithete warned the information custodian that the standing committee “is not a kindergarten”, and such acts should be buried.

“You can even be arrested for refusing to appear before the standing committee, and that should not be repeated ever again. This is equal to a court, and you are collapsing this country. Or are we planning a coup to collapse this country?” he asked.

The focus of the consultation meeting was the aftermath of the 2021 NBC strike, which left numerous employees facing financial and emotional challenges. 

Although the discussion was slated to take place in Parliament before the year concludes, the impending closure of the National Assembly tomorrow means it will be postponed until the following year.

“We completed the consultations three months ago, and only the ministry delayed us reporting to the House. We don’t know what the problem was, and we can’t report on half of information as the ministry is a major stakeholder under which the NBC resorts,” stated the deputy chairperson of the committee, Eliphas Dingara.

The executive director of the ministry Audrin Mathe acknowledged the delays, without providing justification.

He said the budget assigned to the NBC amounted to N$281 million, with an additional N$100 million earmarked to address their demands.

“What the NBC generates is less than 23% of the total income they receive. Unfortunately,

the strike took place, and there were offers made to them, such as a once-off payment, which was between management and the union which represented them, and resulted in the industrial strike. We also increased their budget,” Mathe added.

Dissatisfied with this explanation, committee
member Maximaliant Katjimune expressed disappointment, stating that the ministry was unprepared, and he anticipated a more thorough report on the matter.

 He also raised concern with Mathe about the reported toxic environment at the broadcasting corporation, asserting that the toxicity has now become a persistent issue within the entity.

“We heard board members and the management actively bully employees, and make the environment so toxic that employees cannot handle working there anymore. The matter has worsened to an extent where the managers aren’t talking to the employees, and so forth.

I have attended many hearings, and we were close to tears when we heard the testimonies from NBC staff around this situation. I couldn’t believe that there is a company in this country that still practices sort of apartheid-like practises,” he continued.

The young politician cautioned that unless the ministry effectively addresses the challenges faced by the NBC, the corporation will collapse. 

Mathe, in response to the concerns, conveyed that the ministry is implementing training interventions to ensure adequate preparation, particularly for supervisors.  This is aimed at fostering a conducive environment where staff members can thrive.

The committee also brought forth concerns
about infrastructure, to which Mathe reiterated that resources have been allocated. 

Consequently, the NBC has acquired nine to 11 cameras, and the studio has undergone an upgrade to High Definition (HD).

“If you tune into NBC 1 and 2, all of them are running in high definition. So, those issues are resolved,” said the executive director.

Strike

When asked about the strike and its impact on the employees, Mathe responded by citing it as a matter of affordability.

“To a large extent, the NBC depends on what the government is giving them. And that has affected us (ministry) and the NBC as well, and the employees were aggrieved that they didn’t receive an increment,” he stated.

Part of the plan to mitigate the strike was the
N$100 million which was provided.

“During that period, the NBC, the union and the employees agreed on the rules of the strike, including the “no work, no pay rule”. Those rules were signed off by both parties, and of course that doesn’t involve our ministry, but that of labour,” he continued.

Mathe remarked that those who participated in the strike were aware of the strike rules, understanding that employees on strike would not receive payment for the duration of their withheld labour.

“Unfortunately, when the strike ended, the employees and employer were in a situation where they had to recover the money, and NBC decided that it would be deducted over five months. We are aware that some people’s houses were repossessed, and those were challenges,” he noted.

Mathe said the funding motive for the NBC should differ from what it is now.

“We need to find something more sustainable. The TV licence being a source of revenue is not working, and advertising is also not sustainable. Of the radio stations they have, only four are profitable,” he said.

Therefore, the NBC can do more to generate revenue.

Retirees on payroll

Parliamentarian Elma Dienda also confronted
the ministry about the allegations that some retired NBC employees are still on the company’s payroll.

Mathe said he is only aware of one male former employee, and the matter has been taken up with the director general of the entity.

However, the MP alleged that a female gets paid by the company, but only works once a month.

“The information that we got from the staff members of the NBC is that some retired employees are being used as consultants for the NBC. Instead of the
NBC appointing new graduates with no jobs, they
let retired employees work and say they are
consultants,” Dienda told New Era.

- ashikololo@nepc.com.na