DTA in financial trouble

By: CHRISTOF MALETSKY

FINANCIAL trouble has forced the DTA of Namibia to shut its main office in the country and to send home staff members until further notice.

The party's Administrative Secretary, Rudolph Kamburona, has

confirmed to The Namibian that the party's coffers are empty and

that they have sent a skeleton staff of four to operate from the

regional office in Katutura after the main office in Khomasdal was

closed down.

He said the office was shut and advertised for rent, while staff

members will have to wait for their salaries until further

notice.

 

"Yes, they have not been paid.

 

That I will not deny.

 

Once we have money, they will receive backdated salaries,"

Kamburona said.

 

The DTA has been in financial trouble for some time but it has

reached crisis level lately.

 

The party has failed to mobilise members to contribute, as the

membership base has dwindled in the last 10 years.

 

In recent years the party's main source of income has been the

National Assembly's party funding scheme.

 

With the coffers empty, the party was hoping to get the

much-needed funds by the end of last month.

 

However, with the changes in Government and the delay in the

Budget, they will have to wait at least a month.

 

Kamburona said the party had decided to rent out the main office

and to move him and other top-level staff to the party's office at

the National Assembly.

 

Others, whom Kamburona said could serve no purpose while at an

office without telephone lines, have been moved to Katutura.

 

"The Budget will take one month to go through the National

Assembly and National Council.

 

Once we have received the money, we will start afresh.

 

There is nothing sinister.

 

Opposition parties generally struggle financially.

 

We are looking to sustain ourselves rather than depending on

State funding all the time," said Kamburona.

 

The party has 47 offices countrywide and other property

throughout Namibia.

 

Kamburona said they hope to get around N$600 000 a year over the

next five years from the National Assembly.

 

Normally Parliament sets aside around N$10 million to N$12

million for political party funding.

 

In the past the money was divided according to the number of

votes, with every party getting around N$16 per vote.

 

The Namibian has established that the new funding will be based

on the number of seats political parties have in the National

Assembly.

 

Cabinet has laid down rules on how parties should use the

money.

 

The main purpose of the funding is to help parties run their

legislative offices and for general political and organisational

work.

 

When the decision on party funding was taken in 1997, a

parliamentary committee recommended that one of the conditions

should be that political parties issue annual audited financial

reports, to be published in the Government Gazette, and that they

disclose all donations in excess of N$500.

 

The view was also expressed that tax concessions on such

donations would be an incentive to potential donors.

 

The parliamentary report said this was necessary to help keep

multi-party democracy alive.

 

Political parties have remained tight-lipped about how they

allocate their State funding and the first Auditor General of

Namibia, Fanuel Tjingaete, attempted to get an opinion from

Government lawyers on how to compel parties to account for the

funds.

 

The Office of the Auditor General cannot audit the books of

political parties represented in the National Assembly.

 

Ideally, the Office of the Speaker in the National Assembly

should approach the Office of the President with a request that the

AG be instructed to do the audit.

 

However, parties are reluctant to open up their books because of

other sources of income they would not like their opponents to know

about.

 

They have received funds from the State since 1997.

 

The lion's share of State funding to political parties is

allocated to the ruling Swapo Party.

 

He said the office was shut and advertised for rent, while staff

members will have to wait for their salaries until further

notice."Yes, they have not been paid.That I will not deny.Once we

have money, they will receive backdated salaries," Kamburona

said.The DTA has been in financial trouble for some time but it has

reached crisis level lately.The party has failed to mobilise

members to contribute, as the membership base has dwindled in the

last 10 years.In recent years the party's main source of income has

been the National Assembly's party funding scheme.With the coffers

empty, the party was hoping to get the much-needed funds by the end

of last month.However, with the changes in Government and the delay

in the Budget, they will have to wait at least a month.Kamburona

said the party had decided to rent out the main office and to move

him and other top-level staff to the party's office at the National

Assembly.Others, whom Kamburona said could serve no purpose while

at an office without telephone lines, have been moved to

Katutura."The Budget will take one month to go through the National

Assembly and National Council.Once we have received the money, we

will start afresh.There is nothing sinister.Opposition parties

generally struggle financially.We are looking to sustain ourselves

rather than depending on State funding all the time," said

Kamburona.The party has 47 offices countrywide and other property

throughout Namibia.Kamburona said they hope to get around N$600 000

a year over the next five years from the National Assembly.Normally

Parliament sets aside around N$10 million to N$12 million for

political party funding.In the past the money was divided according

to the number of votes, with every party getting around N$16 per

vote.The Namibian has established that the new funding will be

based on the number of seats political parties have in the National

Assembly.Cabinet has laid down rules on how parties should use the

money.The main purpose of the funding is to help parties run their

legislative offices and for general political and organisational

work.When the decision on party funding was taken in 1997, a

parliamentary committee recommended that one of the conditions

should be that political parties issue annual audited financial

reports, to be published in the Government Gazette, and that they

disclose all donations in excess of N$500.The view was also

expressed that tax concessions on such donations would be an

incentive to potential donors.The parliamentary report said this

was necessary to help keep multi-party democracy alive.Political

parties have remained tight-lipped about how they allocate their

State funding and the first Auditor General of Namibia, Fanuel

Tjingaete, attempted to get an opinion from Government lawyers on

how to compel parties to account for the funds.The Office of the

Auditor General cannot audit the books of political parties

represented in the National Assembly.Ideally, the Office of the

Speaker in the National Assembly should approach the Office of the

President with a request that the AG be instructed to do the

audit.However, parties are reluctant to open up their books because

of other sources of income they would not like their opponents to

know about.They have received funds from the State since 1997.The

lion's share of State funding to political parties is allocated to

the ruling Swapo Party.

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