Youth members of the Landless People’s Movement took to the streets recently in protest against the Keetmanshoop municipality’s alleged unwillingness to bring one of its senior managers to book for reportedly harassing his female subordinate.
The alleged victim, Hansina Isaaks, served as human resources coordinator at the municipality, and said the incident happened on 28 January 2021.
“I was busy in my office to assist a staff member when my supervisor, Elivis Mukaya, who is the strategic executive (SE): human resources at the council, entered my office and threw some documents on my table, after which he left,’’ she told New Era.
Isaaks said she then threw the same documents in the corridor, whereafter the executive, after picking them up, tried to enter her office forcefully by pushing the door.
“I pushed from inside to prevent him from entering, and in the process I hurt my breast when the door landed on it,’’ explained the victim.
Isaaks laid criminal charges against Mukaya on the same day, but he did not turn up at the Keetmanshoop Magistrate’s Court during their first appearance on 17 May 2021.
She added that the grievance she laid with the CEO on 1 March 2021 was also never attended to until now.
The HR coordinator said the relationship between her and almost 90% of the council staff has soured since the incident took place.
“There is no communication between us, and I am excluded from all activities taking place at my workplace,” she lamented.
Court records indicate that the accused (Mukaya) has been charged with common assault, and was sentenced to a fine of N$600 on 2 March 2022 for failing to come to court. On the same day he was granted N$1 000 bail while the case has been postponed to 3 May 2022.
LPM youth spokesperson Melody Swartbooi described gender-based violence (GBV) as one of the leading causes of moral decay in society.
“Gender-based violence and harassment at workplaces, being physical or mental, is the highest order of abuse. We cannot allow such acts at an institution (municipality) that has high regard in society,’’ her statement reads.
Swartbooi, who is the chairperson of the LPM youth wing in the //Kharas region, said they have investigated the specific and unfortunate matter in collaboration with subject experts and concluded that the internal disciplinary process, as pronounced by both the CEO and spokesperson of the municipality, is non-existent.
Dawn Kruger, spokesperson of the Keetmanshoop municipality, said the matter is before court, as a criminal case has been opened by the complainant.
“She did, however, report the incident to the CEO. But at this stage, we cannot initiate a disciplinary process or internal investigation as the court case must first be finalised,” she noted, adding that when management asked Mukaya to respond to the allegations, he preferred not to do so as it might influence his ongoing court case.
sklukowski@nepc.com.na
Demanding justice… Melody Swartbooi hands over a petition to Keetmanshoop mayor, McDonald Hanse.