80 teachers in agonising wait for payout since 2016

The education ministry is yet to compensate teachers enrolled in a special diploma programme between 2016 and 2018.
The teachers were due to be paid as soon as their five-year contract lapsed.

A 2012 Education Management Information System (EMIS) report indicated that Namibia had about 24 660 teachers, comprising 1 208 without adequate training and about 3 000 who were unqualified.

The report showed that the Kavango East and Kavango West regions were the most affected, with 2 876 teachers, 210 who were unqualified and 104 who were underqualified.

Chairperson of the affected teachers Alipia Namutenya Namukwata says the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture in the Kavango East region did not deliver on its agreement and the majority of graduate teachers were not paid or issued with a permanent appointment letter.

“We wrote a letter to the executive director of education, Sanet Steenkamp, on 21 May. On 23 May, the letter was addressed to Kavango East regional director of education Christine Shilima, the Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu) and the chief regional officer in Kavango East, Ludgela Nangura.

“We had meetings on three different occasions at the regional office, however all the promises were in vain. The only response we received [is that] our things are on hold and waiting for the go-ahead from the auditors in Windhoek,” said Namukwata.

Namukwata was given a permanent appointment letter in 2023 and received back pay.

“The only benefits I wasn’t paid to date are separation gratuity and annual leave days’ gratuity. We have exhausted all the stages at a regional level and that is why we want the minister of education, arts and culture to respond to us in black and white.

“Why should it take many years to settle the payment? Some were paid already while others who graduated the same year were not paid.”

Moreover, Jennifer Nyambe from Thikanduko Primary School in the Kavango East region, a 2018 intake teacher that graduated in 2020, said this is the last in-service training of its kind of the special diploma programme.

“It is very sad and painful that since I graduated until present, I did not receive my permanent appointment letter, no separation gratuity was paid, neither annual leave gratuity and I am still on contract without my academic qualifications. I did Thimbukushu and English as a mode of language of instruction and during the recommendation, an error was made by the human resources officer, to Rumanyo and English. That wrecked the entire process until present. I am working with no qualification papers and without a single benefit, while other professional teachers are benefiting monthly,” Nyambe said.

Teacher Natalia Singangu said after she graduated in 2022, she received a permanent appointment letter on 1 August in the same year.

“I received the separation gratuity in December the same year, but the annual leave day gratuity was never paid up to now,” Singangu said.

Meanwhile, Roswitha Mangundu at Mathias Thikundiko Primary School in the Kangongo circuit of the Kavango East region is a 2016 May intake whose contract ended in April 2021.

Katongo Immanuel told The Namibian he was only called by the human resources in the education ministry in the Kavango East region last September, after several follow-ups.

“I enrolled for the last intake for 2018 and graduated in 2022. I am from Taratara Combined School in the Ndiyona circuit. I only got my permanent appointment letter on 1 May last year, and I have not been paid the separation gratuity and annual gratuity to date,” said Immanuel.

Shilima said this is not a new issue.

“This year, during the mini gathering of policy coordinating for directors in Windhoek, I enquired when these teachers will be paid since they are still waiting. I was told they should wait, I engaged the teachers to give them the feedback.”

Nantu regional chairperson Lucas Mbangu said that they are aware of the complaints.

“Our people should know to follow the right procedures to report incidents or complaints to make the process easier and efficient. Some of the teachers might not be members of Nantu,” said Mbangu.