Fired Nantu official hits back

ONE of the officials dismissed by the Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu) in connection with a N$1,6 million fraud case in 2001 is suing the teachers’ body for failure to pay settlement fees.

Edward Cornelius Mahalie was dismissed following a death benefit scam which resulted in Nantu losing N$1,6 million but an internal investigation found him not guilty. He subsequently took the union to the labour court in March and Nantu agreed to pay him four months’ salary as well as the union’s pension contributions from October 2001 to June last year.This amounted to around N$41 583,56.Mahalie claimed that Nantu had not paid a single cent since March and instructed the Messenger of the Court to collect the money on his behalf.The Messenger of the Court visited the Nantu offices recently to take stock of the property to be auctioned to recover what the union owes Mahalie.Nantu’s Secretary General Ndapewa Nghipandulwa was not available for comment since she is out of the country, while messages left for the acting secretary general were not answered for two days.Nantu said earlier that several of the officials had orchestrated a death benefit scam since 1998 and that four officials had been linked to it in 2001.So far, the union has been able to only link one official to the scam and her case is still dragging on.The union collects around N$400 000 from monthly membership fees of N$30 paid by its members who number around 13 000.This amounts to yearly contributions of up to N$3 million.The scam was allegedly detected when the current Nantu leadership took over two years ago.Those implicated in defrauding the union allegedly put in multiple death benefit claims for members instead of a single claim for each death.Mahalie told The Namibian that he was also considering filing a case of defamation after he was wrongly dismissed and linked to the scam.Nantu’s death benefit scheme for members pays out a lump sum of money to families of deceased members and claims the money back from the life insurer.The crime was detected shortly after the union enlisted the services of an audit firm, Beukes & Co, in 2001.Police said earlier that their investigations were progressing very slowly because they were struggling to obtain important documents from the union and insurance companies.Other sources alleged that key evidence, such as payment vouchers, cheque books and receipts, were destroyed and could not be traced by the union.He subsequently took the union to the labour court in March and Nantu agreed to pay him four months’ salary as well as the union’s pension contributions from October 2001 to June last year. This amounted to around N$41 583,56. Mahalie claimed that Nantu had not paid a single cent since March and instructed the Messenger of the Court to collect the money on his behalf. The Messenger of the Court visited the Nantu offices recently to take stock of the property to be auctioned to recover what the union owes Mahalie. Nantu’s Secretary General Ndapewa Nghipandulwa was not available for comment since she is out of the country, while messages left for the acting secretary general were not answered for two days. Nantu said earlier that several of the officials had orchestrated a death benefit scam since 1998 and that four officials had been linked to it in 2001. So far, the union has been able to only link one official to the scam and her case is still dragging on. The union collects around N$400 000 from monthly membership fees of N$30 paid by its members who number around 13 000. This amounts to yearly contributions of up to N$3 million. The scam was allegedly detected when the current Nantu leadership took over two years ago. Those implicated in defrauding the union allegedly put in multiple death benefit claims for members instead of a single claim for each death. Mahalie told The Namibian that he was also considering filing a case of defamation after he was wrongly dismissed and linked to the scam. Nantu’s death benefit scheme for members pays out a lump sum of money to families of deceased members and claims the money back from the life insurer. The crime was detected shortly after the union enlisted the services of an audit firm, Beukes & Co, in 2001. Police said earlier that their investigations were progressing very slowly because they were struggling to obtain important documents from the union and insurance companies. Other sources alleged that key evidence, such as payment vouchers, cheque books and receipts, were destroyed and could not be traced by the union.