NHE head dismisses corruption claims

THE chief executive officer of the National Housing Enterprise (NHE), Mike Kavekotora, has dismissed workers’ allegations of corruption and maladministration at the parastatal as “unfounded and baseless”.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Kavekotora said he was surprised at the sudden media attention on the NHE. Kavekotora, whose term at the helm of NHE ends at the end of this month, believes his team has done well under difficult circumstances.Low interest rates, coupled with the poor performance of key export sectors such as the fishing industry, are affecting the profit margins of the housing enterprise, whose major source of revenue is interest income, he said.However, the NHE boss was quick to add that the parastatal was doing well and not experiencing any cash-flow problems.Workers at the NHE have accused managers of self-enrichment, claiming that they awarded themselves inflated salary packages and perks instead of channelling more money to the parastatal’s core function – providing low-cost housing to the poor.Kavekotora dismissed these accusations, saying the management team’s salary packages were market related and approved by the board chairman.He said calls for transport allowances for lower-paid employees were being discussed with union representatives.Kavekotora also dismissed accusations of nepotism and favouritism in recruitment, saying employees were hired on merit and the contribution they would make to the organisation.Regarding the N$18 million that the NHE owes the Windhoek Municipality, Kavekotora said the debt was incurred because of the failure of NHE beneficiaries to pay their transfer fees, municipal rates and taxes.”Over the past years, we have been running on a policy whereby the NHE remains the custodian of properties, hence if clients defaulted on payments, the responsibility was easily shifted to us.”He said the housing enterprise was changing this system, and property deeds would be transferred to the buyers in future.Kavekotora, whose term at the helm of NHE ends at the end of this month, believes his team has done well under difficult circumstances.Low interest rates, coupled with the poor performance of key export sectors such as the fishing industry, are affecting the profit margins of the housing enterprise, whose major source of revenue is interest income, he said.However, the NHE boss was quick to add that the parastatal was doing well and not experiencing any cash-flow problems.Workers at the NHE have accused managers of self-enrichment, claiming that they awarded themselves inflated salary packages and perks instead of channelling more money to the parastatal’s core function – providing low-cost housing to the poor.Kavekotora dismissed these accusations, saying the management team’s salary packages were market related and approved by the board chairman.He said calls for transport allowances for lower-paid employees were being discussed with union representatives.Kavekotora also dismissed accusations of nepotism and favouritism in recruitment, saying employees were hired on merit and the contribution they would make to the organisation.Regarding the N$18 million that the NHE owes the Windhoek Municipality, Kavekotora said the debt was incurred because of the failure of NHE beneficiaries to pay their transfer fees, municipal rates and taxes.”Over the past years, we have been running on a policy whereby the NHE remains the custodian of properties, hence if clients defaulted on payments, the responsibility was easily shifted to us.”He said the housing enterprise was changing this system, and property deeds would be transferred to the buyers in future.