WINDHOEK – The former secretary general of the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN), Reverend Maria Kapere is of the opinion CCN does not need to struggle financially if Christians unite to support it.
Speaking in an interview with New Era, Kapere said towards the end of her tenure as secretary general, she started a project called the ‘N$100 campaign’ that could have financially resuscitated CCN.
In June, the acting secretary-general of the CCN, Ludwig Beukes said the CCN was indebted to between N$1.8 to N$2 million.

The organisation is yet to recover from its financial predicament, admitted Beukes, adding that the CCN is finding it hard to fulfil its financial obligations towards its creditors.
Last year, the Catholic Church in Namibia helped CCN with a loan of about N$700,000 to settle some of its most pressing debts. 

Apart from repaying back the loan to the Catholic Church, the CCN is confronted with debts of about N$400,000 to the Ministry of Finance for tax that was not paid or properly deducted, said Beukes. 
Beukes also said CCN owes the Windhoek Municipality at least N$600,000 and to add salt to injury, the organisation has since been handed over to debt collectors.
Beukes’s phone rung unanswered yesterday when New Era tried to clarify some of the issues related to CCN’s escalating debt.

However, Kapere emphasised if Christians and especially member churches of the CCN unite, the council would not struggle financially.

Expanding on the ‘N$100 campaign’, Kapere said the aim was to gather 100 000 Namibians to contribute N$100 to the CCN on a yearly basis. 
“Do you know how much will the CCN make if 100 000 Namibians each gave N$100 in a year? If the churches stand together we can easily get N$1 million,” said Kapere. 

She said: “CCN and all churches do not need to struggle as long as members know where their money is going, Namibians will spend,” said Kapere. 
She also said the church has an important role to play in the nation. 
Before independence, the CCN and its six-member churches at the time stood by government to support it in its pursuit for independence.

“Now the church must find other objectives on which we should focus and that must bring us and keep us together. I’ve observed that some of our church clergy have a tribal clan within themselves. If tribalism, ethnicity and corruption is in the church, we can forget about addressing other social ills,” said Kapere.