No criminal case against me – Kashikola

Sacked deputy minister Daniel Kashikola has said no open police cases against him could have led to his dismissal.

Late on Tuesday, president Hage Geingob relieved Kashikola of his duties as deputy minister in the home affairs, safety and security ministry.

Kashikola will be replaced by Lucia Witbooi.

“The president did not raise any issue with me… What was reported in the news last night is exactly what was in my letter of relief. There were no allegations made,” Kashikola told The Namibian yesterday.

When asked about it, Geingob yesterday told The Namibian: “Nothing. It was normal”.

Kashikola on Wednesday refuted allegations that he was dismissed due to misconduct, including his 2020 arrest for driving under the influence.

“In the first place, you should have asked me for the case in 2020, which is a fake. That case was thrown out or withdrawn. There was no incident. It was a fake, a made up thing,” he said.

Kashikola was arrested after he allegedly hit a private car with a government vehicle he was driving.

According to a 2020 report by the Namibia Press Agency, Kashikola was driving his vehicle with an excessive concentration level of alcohol in his body when he was arrested in December 2019.

“This is according to laboratory test results obtained by the Namibian Police, which were made public on Wednesday and show that the deputy minister’s blood contained 0,18 grams of ethanol (alcohol) per 100 millilitres. That means that the limit of alcohol in his blood was higher than the limit conducive for operating a motor vehicle,” noted the news article.

However, Kashikola insists that the case was “fake”.

“There was one that I said was fake. Which was dismissed because it was fake. That was for 2020. The misconduct. I don’t know. Those who are talking about misconduct, they know better. I am not prepared to entertain those rumours. I have not been told of any misconduct,” he said.

Kashikola said president Geingob exercised his power to appoint and relieve.

“He simply exercised his power according to his discretion. I have no quarrel with the president. There’s no bad blood between the two of us,” he said.

Home affairs minister Albert Kawana referred questions on Kashikola’s dismissal to the Office of the President.

“I’m not the appointing authority, understand? It is not done like that in a democracy, the president exercises his duties and functions according to the supreme law of our land,” Kawana said.

President Geingob also appointed three new deputy ministers. Deputy ministers included in the reshuffle are Natalia Goagoses, Witbooi and Eveline Nawases-Tayele.

Presidential press secretary Alfredo Hengari announced in a media statement on Tuesday evening that Geingob had let Kashikola go.

Hengari said Geingob thanked Kashikola “for his services as deputy minister of home affairs, immigration and security, and wished him well in his future endeavours”.

Goagoses has been moved to the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development.

“An educationist by training, Goagoses has been tasked with strengthening the work of government in the delivery of better services in the higher education sector, including the acceleration of national efforts towards the fourth industrial revolution,” noted the statement.

Witbooi, who replaces Kashikola, previously served as deputy minister in the gender equality, poverty eradication and social welfare ministry.

“Working alongside the minister, Witbooi has been tasked with working towards improved and timely service delivery and strengthening national efforts towards improved security for citizens and visitors,” noted the statement.

Nawases-Tayele will be the deputy minister of the urban and regional development portfolio.

“Nawases-Tayele will contribute towards an improved performance culture for better public service delivery in the ministry,” the statement noted.