Ex-NYC chair Busch demands backpay, phone reactivation

Former National Youth Council (NYC) executive chairperson Sharonice Busch is requesting the reactivation of her previously assigned cellphone number and the payment of backpay she believes is owed to her between December 2020 and August 2021.

Busch, who is now a member of parliament, said this in a letter dated 2 June and addressed to the interim NYC board, as well as minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture Sanet Steenkamp and her deputy Dino Ballotti.

According to Busch, upon her resignation last year, she sought to retain her primary contact number stating that the number was essential to her professional and personal communication, assuming responsibility for any associated costs.

However, in the letter, Busch says she was dismayed to discover that the number had been disconnected, allegedly on the instruction of NYC director Calista Schwartz-Gowases, despite prior assurances from human capital manager Dominic Mukumba that the transfer would be facilitated.

“Unfortunately, despite Mukumba’s assurance to effect the transfer, at around May, it came to my attention that the mobile number was disconnected; significantly disrupting my ability to communicate with anyone and access key and critical platforms which require two-factor or secondary authentication via mobile text or call.

“It is my understanding that the instruction to disconnect the mobile number, despite my earlier request to transfer it to my personal account, was made by Calista Schwartz-Gowases,” she says.

She adds: “While I am not aware of the reasons why such a course of action was chosen, I must express my deep disappointment in the handling of this matter, and the utter disregard for the reasons earlier advanced to support the transfer of the mobile number,” she says in the letter. Busch urges the interim board to ensure compliance with all relevant legal instruments and to apply due diligence in resolving the matters she raised.

She also calls for transparency regarding the appointment of the acting executive chairperson, questioning the legality and procedural correctness of the appointment.

In an interview with The Namibian yesterday, Busch said the interim chairperson never made an effort to get a handover report from her.

“This speaks to the insufficient manner in which the institution is currently being managed,” she said.

She said she had requested that the number be transferred to her name, however, the director terminated the service without honouring her request.

“The mobile device/number is an executive package given to the head of the council. Upon resigning from NYC, I explicitly requested that the contract be transferred into my personal name to continue with the number for reasons explained in my letter to the board.

“The director who was put on forced leave again, terminated the service of my phone without honouring my request. I wish to state that as articulated in the letter, the financial costs, needless to say, are mine to carry. It’s professional networks I wanted to remain in touch with because it’s the only phone number they have of me,” she said.

According to Busch, NYC should be for young people.

“NYC must be left for the young people and young leaders to govern, and allow the youth to have their space to advance policy issues that can improve the life of Namibian youth. I trust that the institution will embark on a complete reform process to ensure it meets its public objectives soon.”

NYC has previously faced scrutiny over its governance practices.

In December 2024, minister of sport, youth and national service Agnes Tjongarero dismissed the entire NYC board, citing misconduct and mismanagement of funds.

Furthermore, a forensic report dated March 2024 detailed governance failures and corruption within the NYC, raising concerns about the institution’s operational integrity.

Schwartz-Gowases says she realised that despite Busch resigning, the company was still paying the Mobile Telecommunications Limited account on her behalf.

“l stopped it because why must you be paid by the institution if you are not an employee of the institution? That is theft and there are procedures that needs to be followed that when you resign, immediately you need to request for the number to be your personal number which was not followed. She had the number for almost six months and the company was still paying for those charges, which is not acceptable. As an accounting officer, I had to stop that,” she says.

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