Centre supervisor says colleague smells

THE chaplain of the Mission to Seafarers centre at Walvis Bay is unhappy about the treatment he gets from the manager of the centre, Gail Wearne, and has accused her of racial discrimination.

According to reverend Phillipus Hainane, he has been facing embarrassing moments since he started working at the centre last year.

Hainane says Wearne has been sending messages claiming that he emits an odour that makes the entire place smell badly. One day, Hainane noted, Wearne sprayed the office with air freshener.

“I asked her politely why she did not come to me since we work together and our offices are also close to each other. She claimed that she is a woman, and could not say it to me directly,” Hainane said, adding that he has no idea how he smells because he is a clean person,” he stated.

Hainane counsels seafarers from other countries, prays for them and helps them communicate with their families.

“I now feel uncomfortable visiting vessels or interacting with the seafarers, and especially cannot hold a proper church service because they are told to write in the visitors’ book that I have a terrible odour. How do I counsel people, when I am sitting here with a heavy heart?” he asked.

Some of Hainane’s co-workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that they heard Wearne making the remarks and that they feel bad when they see her with the spray can.

Wearne confirmed that Hainane smells and that a colleague once told him so. She also admitted sending some people to talk to Hainane about the smell because as an elderly person, she could not approach him.

“I could not do it. I thought this would be a nice way of doing it. It has been like this for some time. He has a full bathroom, a house, a good salary.

It is very embarrassing if you have a smelly person in a restaurant,” Wearne said.

She, however, also mentioned that sometimes she was only covering up for a colleague, like in the case where seafarers were made to write comments in the book, as she is the manager.

“It was not me. I did not physically send someone to tell him. I am looking after my staff. I am also trying to cover up for my staff. I did not give that instruction. Another member of staff sent the supervisor. I am covering for another member.”

Wearne further said she respected Hainane as a man of class and had apologised to him in front of the Namport station commander and staff who were called for a meeting at the police station.

She promised to handle the issue behind closed doors next time by instead asking the chairman of the centre’s board to talk to the pastor.

The chairperson of the centre, John Guard, said he was informed about the incident and tried to advise how to talk to each other in future.

“I think the problem was communication. They told him in a way that was probably not best because the managers were uncomfortable as women and sent a male to tell him.

“I would say it was unfortunate that the message also reached him in a wrong way. It could have been done in a slightly diplomatic way. I don’t think there were any ill intentions. Now that the implications are known, things will be done better in future,” Guard said.

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