Scholarships for sex

Home National Scholarships for sex

Ongwediva

The managing director of the Ongwediva Diabetes Association of Namibia (D.A.N), Shatika Ipinge, has been arrested in connection with rape allegations involving four young men, who are trainees at the centre. He stands accused of demanding sex from the young men in return for medical scholarships in Ukraine.

Ipinge (27) appeared in the Oshakati Magistrate’s Court last Monday on a charge of rape and has been denied bail. He remains in custody until his next court appearance on July 20 this year. According to the four young men, who all candidly narrated their ordeals to New Era, Ipinge has been forcing them to have anal sex with them, with threats of suspension if they refused.

The young men also claim that they were sexually harassed and often they were kissed by force.

The boys allege they were the men and Ipinge the “woman”.

Two of the boys at the centre confessed to have slept with him.  “I am from a poor family and I am my mother’s first born. I wanted to take care of my sister and further my studies because he had promised me a scholarship to Ukraine. 

“I thought by ‘doing’ him he would get off my back and leave me alone. However, he kept coming back for more and this ‘gayish’ thing became too much and that is why I reported him,” said a 20-year-old rape victim, whose identity is known to New Era.

The young man said he wanted to expose the much unspoken about sodomy in the country, as he said he has had sleepless nights from the day he arrived at the association on November 27 last year.

The boys said that once they were registered with the centre they were expected to undergo a “gay” interview at night. “After registration, he would call you at night, he would get so close to you by force, harass you by touching you all over and kiss you by force.  He would then ask if you know about gays, whether you have slept with gays and whether you can sleep with one.  If you say no you are informed that you have failed the interview and that you will not last long at the association,” related the boys.

The “gay” interview allegedly proceeded every night with those giving in to his demands alleged to have passed the interview, while those who refused were asked to call the next person or suspended.

“That was the routine, he would call us one after the other into his room,” related the young men. At the start of the training, the young men were also informed that they were not allowed to have girlfriends during their stay at the centre. In addition, Ipinge is alleged to have also confiscated their cell phones.The young men allege that once the cell phones were confiscated, Ipinge would monitor their calls and censure who they speak to. Ipinge further stands accused of reading their messages before passing their cell phones to them.

“Refusing to hand in your cell phone or to give our password would call for your suspension or have your SIM card destroyed,” related the men.Upon their arrival at the centre, the young men were asked to write an oath swearing that they would never expose the on-goings at the association or else they would be jailed. One of the boys was suspended for two months for not adhering to the rules given in the oath.

One of the young men claims that Ipinge offered to buy him erection pills after showing no interest in Ipinge’s room one night. One alleges having received lessons from Ipinge on how to propose gay men, which was aimed at helping in seducing Ipinge’s friends, who were later introduced to him for sex.