Some Swapo leaders in the Oshana region have opposed Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) leader Absalom Itamalo’s candidacy for the position of regional coordinator, citing concerns over his handling of youth project funds about seven years ago.
Oshana is set to hold an extraordinary regional conference tomorrow to elect a new regional coordinator to replace Werner Iita, who is moving to parliament. Itamalo is contesting the position against Ondangwa Urban district coordinator Sem Nangolo.
A source within the party says some members are unhappy with Itamalo due to allegations of financial mismanagement involving a youth project in the Uuvudhiya area.
“There is an outcry from party members about how he handled the youth project money. People are not happy with him becoming regional coordinator… In fact, his dealings with the money have caused conflict,” the source says.
Despite the opposition, some youth leaders in the region support Itamalo, arguing that Nangolo is too old for the role.
“I want Itamalo to win, so I will be on the ground on Saturday campaigning for him,” a youth leader told The Namibian yesterday.
Itamalo’s critics point to his past role as chairperson of the Uuvudhiya Agricultural Youth Project, where about N$60 000 allocated for a youth project was allegedly unaccounted for.
The project, funded in 2015 by the Small Grants Programme of the Environmental Investment Fund, aimed to establish vegetable gardens using micro-drip irrigation for food security and income generation in the Uuvudhiya constituency.
Documents from the Small Grants Programme indicate that Itamalo served as the project manager.
In a letter dated 1 August 2016, Uuvudhiya youth executive and project committee member Lot Sheetheni alleges that Itamalo admitted to mismanaging funds, falsifying receipts, forging signatures, and making false payment claims.
“The entire youth leadership is highly disappointed with the way the project manager handled the petty cash, which was entrusted to him by the project committee and indeed by young people in our constituency,” Sheetheni wrote.
The project was terminated in March 2018, as confirmed in a letter by then-United Nations Development Programme resident representative Kiki Ghebo, dated 12 March 2018.
On 28 February 2020, Small Grants Programme national coordinator Nickey //Gaeseb wrote to Itamalo, noting that he had promised to refund the misused funds. However, //Gaeseb this week told The Namibian that no refund had been received.
“As far as I remember, we did not receive any refund,” //Gaeseb said, adding that the Anti-Corruption Commission and the police had taken documents related to the case, but he was unsure of the outcome.
DENIES
Contacted for comment, Itamalo dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
“There is nothing like that. If there is anyone with substantive evidence, they should take it to the police,” he said.
He claimed that similar corruption allegations had surfaced previously when he contested for the chairperson positions of the Oshana Youth Forum and the Swapo Uuvudhiya district coordinator.
However, Oshana police crime investigation coordinator deputy commissioner Frederick Ndjadila confirms that a case, CR198/07/2020, had been opened against Itamalo at the Oshana police commercial crime investigation unit.
“The matter was investigated and sent for the prosecutor general’s decision,” Ndjadila told The Namibian.
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