NamPost clerk in court over missing pensions

A NAMPOST employee from Klein Aub has been suspended on full pay after allegedly pocketing close to N$60 000.

This money – funds from the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare – was meant for pensioners at this impoverished village southwest of Rehoboth.According to NamPost’s spokesperson, Harold Akwenye, the disappearance of the money came to light at the beginning of March. Following an internal investigation, Patricia van Heerden was suspended last week. The 31-year-old employee was arrested at Rehoboth on Monday.She made a first appearance on a charge of theft in the Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Gibson Imbili on the same day. The case was postponed until May 14 for her to obtain legal representation and for further investigation. Van Heerden was released on bail of N$3 000. According to Akwenye, the alleged theft was uncovered during a random spot check by the company’s internal auditors. An investigation to determine whether or not more money is missing is expected to be concluded at the end of this week, Akwenye said. However, according to the spokesperson, they do not expect this to be the case.Van Heerden has been working for NamPost at the village for longer than three years. As a result, she was familiar with when pensioners came to claim their monthly grants. Some of these senior citizens only collect their money days after the official payout day. It is suspected that the missing N$59 932 was meant for these late-comers, Akwenye said.