NYC office bearer at centre of funding row

A VISIT to a businessman to solicit funds for a regional youth organisation has landed the suspended Head of the National Youth Council’s (NYC) Youth Health, Gender and Welfare, Sacky Amenya, in trouble.

The Namibian has established that some time in May, Amenya – who is facing six charges of misconduct – apparently accompanied two Erongo Regional Youth Forum (ERYF) officials to a businessman to ask for money for projects in the Erongo Region. However, the trip backfired after NYC Secretary General Pohamba Shifeta learned about it when the businessman contacted him for a reference.Shifeta allegedly claimed to the businessman that the trio had intended to use the money to campaign for former Foreign Minister Hidipo Hamutenya during the run-up to the Swapo extraordinary congress.A few weeks after the visit on June 3, Shifeta suspended Amenya and handed the matter to a disciplinary committee for further investigation.On June 9, The Namibian reported that Amenya was suspended as part of ‘reprisal moves’ allegedly underway at the youth organisation to “deal with” those officials who had supported Hamutenya.Last week, Shifeta vehemently denied that such moves were afoot at the NYC and also dismissed the linking of Amenya’s suspension to Swapo politics.”There is no such a thing… that is devoid of any truth.People who gave you that information might be lunatics,” the NYC boss charged.He also rejected claims that he had been contacted about a reference for the Erongo Regional Youth Forum.According to Shifeta, the said businessman had “only called” to “express serious concern with the conduct of these people who go around asking for money”.”There are procedures here (at the NYC)… you, even myself, cannot go about raising funds without the knowledge of the financial administrator,” stated Shifeta.”We have a serious problem of the young going around the country soliciting funds in the name of the Council and then putting the money in their pockets,” he claimed.Asked if Amenya and his two colleagues were raising the money for the NYC and the Erongo Regional Youth Forum, Shifeta responded:”We don’t know who they were raising the funds for, that is why we are investigating.”The Chairman of the Erongo Regional Youth Forum, Godwin Kamberipa, who is also a member of the NYC National Executive Committee, confirmed visiting the businessman with Amenya.Kamberipa was adamant that the purpose of the visit was to raise funds for the Erongo youth organisation not the NYC.The Namibian has learned that Amenya had already been hauled before a disciplinary hearing about a fortnight ago and was now waiting to hear his fate, which, according to Shifeta, would be decided “very soon”.Amenya confirmed to The Namibian that he had already appeared before the DC but had rejected all charges against him.Shifeta refused to divulge the charges against Amenya because “it is a confidential matter of the Council until the whole matter is closed.”According to a copy of the charge-sheet which The Namibian has seen, Amenya allegedly contravened NYC conditions of service by allegedly ignoring continuous instructions from Shifeta to explain the fundraising visit.He was also accused of having walked out of a meeting with Shifeta and for allegedly having threatening his boss with legal action for “harassing him (Amenya) for political reasons”.Amenya allegedly also refused to carry out instructions to prepare management reports and submit quotations for the WAY [World Assembly of Youth] budget before the May 30 due date.”I have a reason to believe that you are guilty of gross misconduct which warrants serious investigation and prompt action in order to protect the Council’s interest,” Shifeta wrote to Amenya.However, the trip backfired after NYC Secretary General Pohamba Shifeta learned about it when the businessman contacted him for a reference.Shifeta allegedly claimed to the businessman that the trio had intended to use the money to campaign for former Foreign Minister Hidipo Hamutenya during the run-up to the Swapo extraordinary congress.A few weeks after the visit on June 3, Shifeta suspended Amenya and handed the matter to a disciplinary committee for further investigation.On June 9, The Namibian reported that Amenya was suspended as part of ‘reprisal moves’ allegedly underway at the youth organisation to “deal with” those officials who had supported Hamutenya.Last week, Shifeta vehemently denied that such moves were afoot at the NYC and also dismissed the linking of Amenya’s suspension to Swapo politics.”There is no such a thing… that is devoid of any truth.People who gave you that information might be lunatics,” the NYC boss charged.He also rejected claims that he had been contacted about a reference for the Erongo Regional Youth Forum.According to Shifeta, the said businessman had “only called” to “express serious concern with the conduct of these people who go around asking for money”.”There are procedures here (at the NYC)… you, even myself, cannot go about raising funds without the knowledge of the financial administrator,” stated Shifeta.”We have a serious problem of the young going around the country soliciting funds in the name of the Council and then putting the money in their pockets,” he claimed.Asked if Amenya and his two colleagues were raising the money for the NYC and the Erongo Regional Youth Forum, Shifeta responded:”We don’t know who they were raising the funds for, that is why we are investigating.”The Chairman of the Erongo Regional Youth Forum, Godwin Kamberipa, who is also a member of the NYC National Executive Committee, confirmed visiting the businessman with Amenya.Kamberipa was adamant that the purpose of the visit was to raise funds for the Erongo youth organisation not the NYC.The Namibian has learned that Amenya had already been hauled before a disciplinary hearing about a fortnight ago and was now waiting to hear his fate, which, according to Shifeta, would be decided “very soon”.Amenya confirmed to The Namibian that he had already appeared before the DC but had rejected all charges against him.Shifeta refused to divulge the charges against Amenya because “it is a confidential matter of the Council until the whole matter is closed.”According to a copy of the charge-sheet which The Namibian has seen, Amenya allegedly contravened NYC conditions of service by allegedly ignoring continuous instructions from Shifeta to explain the fundraising visit.He was also accused of having walked out of a meeting with Shifeta and for allegedly having threatening his boss with legal action for “harassing him (Amenya) for political reasons”.Amenya allegedly also refused to carry out instructions to prepare management reports and submit quotations for the WAY [World Assembly of Youth] budget before the May 30 due date.”I have a reason to believe that you are guilty of gross misconduct which warrants serious investigation and prompt action in order to protect the Council’s interest,” Shifeta wrote to Amenya.