Windhoek
Former secretary of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) Dr Elijah Ngurare, deemed an outcast after his unceremonious expulsion from the ruling party in July 2015, has secured employment at the University of Namibia (Unam) as a quality assurance coordinator.
The job, which Ngurare got after interviews were held for the position in November 2015, entails monitoring and evaluating the appropriateness of the university’s teaching facilities, qualification accreditation and international benchmarking, amongst other duties. Ngurare confirmed his new assignment to New Era upon enquiry yesterday, saying he has always harboured ambitions to work at the country’s biggest academic institution. “It has been my long-held dream to join an academic institution like the University of Namibia,” Ngurare said yesterday.
“Therefore, I’m humbled by the opportunity given to me to make a patriotic contribution at this level. I’m very happy.” He will be responsible for quality assurance at Unam’s Hifikepunye Pohamba and Jose Eduardo Dos Santos campuses– both based in Ongwediva.
After his expulsion from Swapo – alongside Affirmative Repositioning trio Job Amupanda, Dimbulukeni Nauyoma and George Kambala – Ngurare lost several directorships on companies owned by the ruling party, such as Kalahari Holdings and some of its subsidiaries, such as Multichoice Namibia. Ngurare,who holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Dundee, Scotland and a PhD from the National University of Ireland, Cork, in the Republic of Ireland, also lost his position as board chairperson of Namdeb Holdings. He remains a board member of national water utility, Namwater. Former mines minister Isak Katali had appointed Ngurare to the Namdeb board. Ngurare also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Water Resources Management and International Relations from the Central State University, USA.
Ngurare and the AR trio have in recent months dragged the ruling party to court over their expulsion, with proceedings slated for early February.They claim that Swapo Party did not follow procedures in excommunicating them, while they have also questioned the merits of the party’s decision.
Swapo defended its actions, saying the four were divisive loose cannons ,who had no respect for the party’s leadership, let alone its internal unity.
A local political observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, hailed Unam for bringing Ngurare on board, saying his qualifications would have gone to waste had he remained on the streets.
“Ngurare’s friction is with Swapo, so it’s pleasing to see public institutions showing autonomy in matters like employing qualified Namibians, unlike others who have made themselves extensions of political playmakers,” the commentator said. New Era understands that Ngurare would also be asked to offer lectures in the university’s faculty of law.