‘Nepotism’ claims upset Keetmanshoop residents

TWENTY Keetmanshoop residents took to the streets this week crying foul over the shortlisting of 13 potential appointees as institutional workers by the Karas Regional Education Office.

In a petition addressed to the Education Ministry Permanent Secretary, and handed over to Karas Regional Education Director August Mungunda, protesters demanded the interviewing and selection process of the shorlisted candidates be immediately halted. The protesters claimed similar complaints lodged in the past with the regional education office had fallen on deaf ears. ‘On previous occasions we complained to the relevant authorities, but nothing happened,’ Jacobs who handed over the petition said. According to Jacobs, corruption and nepotism had taken root at the regional education office.She said those who were shortlisted for the workers’ positions were friends, including wives, husbands, girlfriends and boyfriends of those employed at the regional education office. She demanded an independent audit into the allegations. Mungunda said, however, that the allegations were without truth. He said an investigation following complaints by the same group had found nothing irregular regarding the shortlisting in question. ‘We gave the group feed-back relating to their concerns, but it seems they are not satisfied,’ said Mungunda. Jacobs hit back, however, saying top brass at the regional education office were dismissive and ‘justified the unjustifiable by trying to be economical with the truth’. Mungunda pledged to forward the petition to the Education Ministry PS. The regional director said the selection and interviewing process of the shortlisted candidates had been halted. ‘We’ll wait for a response from the Education Ministery PS before the process is concluded,’ he said.