ELIASER NDEYANALE and SONJA SMITHFORMER Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) boss Tjama Tjivikua has accused minister of higher education, training and innovation Itah Kandjii-Murangi of forcing him to appoint her daughter and her sister, and to retain her cousin at the university.
Tjivikua, Nust’s vice chancellor of 23 years, said this in a 10-page report dated 11 March 2019.
The report was written a few weeks before he stepped down as the university head.
Tjivikua’s report, which has never been reported on in the media, adds to a list of widespread allegations of interference against the higher education minister.
This includes claims that she constantly applied pressure to the previous Nust council to employ individuals close to her.
“She essentially wanted to hand-pick her choice of people to run Nust,” the source said.
The minister denied any wrongdoing.
Tjivikua said the minister summoned him to her office in July 2018 and asked that he recruit her daughter and sister.
“The minister told me she knows there are vacancies at the university and that I am standing in her way,” he said.
According to Tjivikua, the minister “made several phone calls and [sent] text messages, including one with her daughter’s phone number on 13 July 2018”.
“However, I did not relent to her request,” he said.
The minister’s daughter, Hepuree Murangi, is currently employed by Nust as alumni officer.
The Namibian reported in January this year that Murangi was employed without meeting the requirements of the job.
At the time, the university blamed its human resources officer for miscalculating Murangi’s past working experiences.
Tjivikua says the minister wanted her daughter to work at Nust.
The Namibian understands that Murangi was employed by telecommunications company MTN Namibia at the time.
Tjivikua said the minister also requested the recruitment of her sister, Alma Kandjii-Daniel, who previously worked at the university, but resigned in July 2013 after facing disciplinary action.
“I referred the [minister] to rules and procedures for hiring and employing. The minister pursued the matter further, but I did not relent to her request,” Tjivikua’s report said.
Kandjii-Daniel has been employed by the University of Namibia’s northern campus as human resource officer since 2016.
She this week refused to comment on the matter.
The former Nust boss recalled how the minister confronted him at the ‘Invest in Namibia Conference’ in November 2016.
Tjivikua said the minister told him he should stop harassing her cousin, Kaitira Kandjii.
At the time, Kandjii served as the university’s spokesperson.
Tjivikua said Kandjii-Murangi allegedly approached him during a lunch break and told him he was harassing her cousin.
Kandjii was dismissed from the university for the mismanagement of leave days of employees in his department and for underperformance. He was later reinstated.
Tjivikua said after the conference, he met up with the minister to present Kandjii’s non-performance record.
“She perused the file and surprisingly said to me: ‘You are his supervisor and that’s your business. Move him to another department.’”
