NFA spends over N$1.1m on funerals amid funding and policy concerns

The Namibia Football Association (NFA) spent over N$1.1 million on the funerals of two executives last year, expenses that included flights and allowances for a select group of attendees.

NFA insiders, speaking anonymously, raised concerns about the expenditure, warning that the absence of a formal funeral policy left the association exposed to potential abuse.

The Namibian understands that the association spent about N$700 000 on the funeral arrangements of former secretary general Charles Siyauya, who died last March.

The association allegedly also spent about N$400 000 on funeral arrangements of former NFA executive member Michael Situde, who died at Mariental in January.

Details about the NFA’s spending come a year after the association came under scrutiny over it’s financial affairs, including allegations that they failed to pay N$1.5 million in taxes.

The NFA is mostly funded by the government. Last September, the government injected N$10 million into the NFA to kick off football activities.

A GOODBYE

The NFA appointed Siyauya as its secretary general in June 2024 to fix its administration.

“His experience, vision, and academic background will be invaluable as we work to develop and grow the game of football in Namibia, taking it to all corners of the country and enhancing its commercial value for the benefit of all stakeholders,” NFA president Robert Shimooshili said at the time.

However, Siyauya died last March aged 50. A memorial was held on 7 March at the NFA Technical Centre (Soccer House) in Katutura, Windhoek. He was then buried at Bukalo village in the Zambezi region, where the association chartered a flight for its executives.

Someone who was involved in the NFA’s administration says the association paid for the casket, memorial service in Windhoek (tent, food), memorial service at Katima Mulilo (tent, food), transport for NFA officials and family members to and from Windhoek to the Zambezi region.

NFA officials who travelled to the burial were also allegedly paid N$8 000 each in subsistence and travel allowances.

The number of employees who received the payment could not immediately be confirmed.

This brings the total spending on the two funerals to more than N$1.1 million.

The NFA also allegedly paid between N$350 000 to N$400 000 in memorial and funeral costs for its NFA executive member, Situde.

The NFA employees who travelled to the funeral were allegedly made to sleep in a church accommodation while the executives were booked at a popular chalet at Mariental.

NFA acting secretary general Mabos Vries told The Namibian last week that it is not procedure to discuss its internal matters related to employer-and-employee relations in public.
“
Only seven employees attended the funeral of the former general secretary, Siyauya, and none of the seven received N$8 000 as you insinuate in your question,” he said.

He, however, did not provide how much each employee received.

One of the current NFA executives told The Namibian that there is no policy on funerals “as people just decide how much to spend.”

Vries said the NFA is an institution, like many others in Namibia, that have policies and procedures which they apply relative to the standard operational procedure.

“The NFA’s executive council holds the legal and statutory power and authority to consider and approve general operational regulations stipulating how the NFA shall discharge the general secretariat, operations and administration,” he said.

The NFA is responsible for administering and developing football in Namibia and receives government funding through the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC). NSC chief administrator Freddy Mwiya last week refused to comment on the financial details.

“Funeral matters from an African perspective are very confidential and as leadership with principles and understanding the pain the loved ones are still involved in, the NSC cannot discuss such matters that are of sensitive nature. Whatever I can indicate is that, every organisation has internal policies that guides them,” he said

Sources have raised questions about how the association prioritises its spending, as football authorities have over the years been accused of financial mismanagement and not aligning expenditure to the NFA’s mandate.

Youth football structures such as u17 and u23 have come to a halt in Namibia due to a lack of funds.

The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture did not respond to questions sent to it two weeks ago.

Approached for comment, former NFA president Ranga Haikali says it is difficult to comment regarding someone who died.

“First of all, my condolences to the families of Siyauya and Situde. As human beings we ought to plan in case of death. We can’t live forever. There are policies that one can issue to cover any expenses related to death or burial.”

Haikali served as NFA president from 2020, before he was controversially removed in 2021.

“I had a similar experience where a former NFA secretary general died. I was informed that there is no policy to cover such expenses. As a human being and president, I contributed from my own pocket and not from NFA coffers for the funerals and burial related expenses,” he says.

Haikali says he cannot comment much on what was spent by the current leadership but he is willing to offer advice.

“I can only relate to my experience and state that any employer can have a funeral benefit scheme for officials and employees, whether it’s N$50 or more. It may cover such expenses,” he says.

He adds: “This is because it may be difficult to justify such expenditure. However, when you have funeral cover that, for example, deducts from the salary of employees then, it makes things easier. As an example, what if a national team player dies in a foreign country. Who will be responsible for the repatriation of that body? What I am trying to say is that let’s look at what’s available to cover the NFA in such emergencies.”

Haikali says spending on funerals creates a difficult precedent.

“We have now created a precedent that if you report on what has happened, tomorrow we have players on national duties who can’t be paid their basic allowance while such money has been spent. Having spent such money, they should go to the market and get policies that can cover people in such cases,” he says.

A former NFA executive, who preferred to be anonymous to discuss confidential matters, told The Namibian yesterday that during his tenure, they did support funerals for former officials, but it was typically around N$50 000 to N$100 000.

The N$700 000 and N$400 000 scale is significantly higher than what he recalls.

“ I’m not aware of any precedent where the NFA spent this much on funerals. It seems unusual compared to past practices,” he said.

He added: “This level of expenditure raises questions about priorities. The NFA’s mandate is to develop football, and with many clubs and projects underfunded, this spending might not align with sound financial management. Transparency and accountability are key here.”

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