RUNDU – Former All People’s Party (APP) secretary general Vincent Kanyetu is demanding a public apology and N$500 000 from his former party after it accused him of sexually harassing a fellow party member.
Failure of the party to do so within seven days will result in him instituting a defamation lawsuit against the party, reads a letter of demand sent to the party yesterday.
In the letter, Kanyetu, who resigned in August before being expelled from the party, said he has suffered severe damage to his dignity as well as emotional distress after being accused of sexually harassing his former colleague, Lina Moses.
Moses, however, has since written a statement, denying she was harassed by the former SG.
But Moses indicated that she was only harassed by Kanyetu’s wife who, through rumours, suspected she was having an extramarital affair with Kanyetu.
Moses claims because of the rumours, Kanyetu’s wife started threatening her via telephone.
“This started with rumours circulation that I have an affair with the secretary general. I am in a steady relationship and about to get married. The rumours reached the SG’s wife who started sending me texts threatening me; at that stage, the matter was reported to the party leadership,” she said.
APP national chairperson Linus Muchila, while announcing Kanyetu’s expulsion in August following his resignation, raised misconduct allegations, which included claims of sexually assaulting Moses.
“We confirm that during June 2023, you, publicly accused and suspended our client on a myriad of charges one of which being a charge of sexual harassment which was allegedly perpetrated by our client against one of the administrative staff in your office,’’ said the letter of demand from Kanyetu’s lawyers at Greyling & Associates.
The letter further states that there is no evidence to sustain any charge of sexual harassment. But despite there being no evidence to suggest that their client was guilty of sexual harassment, Muchila still pursued and instituted the said charge against Kanyetu.
“It is our instructions that your persistence with the charge as well as the public announcement that our client was suspended for sexual harassment and the continuation of the prosecution for sexual harassment was no more than an attempt to defame and discredit our client, in essence you engaged in a smear campaign against our client,’’ Greyling noted.
APP acting president Nangolo Shuumbwa, when contacted for comment, said he was yet to receive the letter of demand that has been addressed for his attention.
“That is news to me, update me, I am not aware of it,” he said.
– jmuyamba@nepc.com.na