Prime Minister feels the heat over funding for Swapo HQ

PRIME Minister Nahas Angula says funds pledged for new Swapo regional headquarters in the Khomas Region came from individuals and not from state institutions.

The Prime Minister has landed slap bang in the centre of a funding controversy in the wake of media reports that Government is alleged to have misused its influence to pressure institutions to help fund the project. In a response to a query from CoD politician Tsudao Gurirab in the National Assembly, Angula said written requests sent out by him were directed to addressees in their individual capacity.The Prime Minister confirmed on Thursday that he had approached “a number of individuals in their private capacity, and not as institutions, to solicit voluntary contributions”.”I may have used the business addresses of the institutions in which they work.That does not mean, however, that they have been requested in their official capacity,” Angula said.He compared his fundraising letters to those of a school such as the Erongosig Primary School at Usakos.”The Member might have received a letter from that school soliciting contributions to the construction of a school hall.I am a patron to that project.”The letter you have received is in your personal capacity and not as a representative in the National Assembly.Similarly, letters written to individuals in local authorities or parastatals for the support of the Swapo party office (project) were addressed to individuals and not to institutions,” Angula said.He did not respond to Gurirab’s other question on how much was pledged by the institutions he approached.Swapo held a gala dinner at the end of September and raised about N$635 000 to buy a huge 3 726-square-metre plot in Khomasdal, which cost N$682 700.Before that, at the end of August, Angula wrote to the Swakopmund municipality to request donations for the new Swapo regional head office.In his letter dated August 31 2006, and printed on a Swapo letterhead, the Prime Minister “humbly requested” the Swakop­mund municipality, as an “organisation”, to donate funds in one of four categories: N$50 000 or more (platinum category), N$30 000 (diamond), N$20 000 (gold) or N$15 000 (silver).A copy of the letter was among the documents prepared for the monthly Council meeting, which is open to the public.The Swakopmund Town Council discussed the matter during its monthly meeting end of last month.Councillor Paul Rooi, who chairs the Management Committee, told the other Councillors that the Committee had decided to book a table for N$5 000 for the Swapo gala event held in September at a Windhoek hotel.The amount was paid from official municipal funds.Rooi further noted that the Swakopmund municipality had requested the organisers to allow orphans and vulnerable children to sit at that table.At the council meeting, UDF member Sophia Mutinga complained about the donation to the ruling party.She wanted to know whether the municipality would consider similar requests from other political parties.Rooi reportedly replied that such requests would be considered on merit.CoD Member Tsudao Gurirab directed a similar query to the Finance Minister: whether it was true that Agribank, a Government institution, had donated money for the project.The bank’s Managing Director, Leonard Ipumbu, pledged N$20 000, allegedly on behalf of the bank, towards the project.Similar pledges were made by other companies.Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila responded earlier this month that she had been assured that “no payment was made by Agribank in favour of Swapo”.According to the Minister, contributions were made by individuals in their personal capacity.She did not say so, but her response leaves room for the interpretation that Ipumbu pledged the N$20 000 in his personal capacity, similar to Trustco boss Quinton van Rooyen, who pledged the same amount in his personal capacity.This was clarified by Trustco board chairman Theo Frank in a letter to The Namibian after an earlier news report on the Swapo dinner.Guests who attended the Swapo dinner told The Namibian that it had been their impression that Ipumbu had pledged the N$20 000 on behalf of the State-owned Agribank and not in his private capacity.Asked by Gurirab whether similar donations had been made to Swapo by State-owned enterprises or other political parties, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila merely replied that how they fulfilled their social responsibilities had to be decided by their boards of directors.”All State-owned enterprises are obliged to table their audited financial statements and any expense incurred for whatever purpose must be disclosed in those reports,” the Minister said.In a response to a query from CoD politician Tsudao Gurirab in the National Assembly, Angula said written requests sent out by him were directed to addressees in their individual capacity.The Prime Minister confirmed on Thursday that he had approached “a number of individuals in their private capacity, and not as institutions, to solicit voluntary contributions”.”I may have used the business addresses of the institutions in which they work.That does not mean, however, that they have been requested in their official capacity,” Angula said.He compared his fundraising letters to those of a school such as the Erongosig Primary School at Usakos.”The Member might have received a letter from that school soliciting contributions to the construction of a school hall.I am a patron to that project.”The letter you have received is in your personal capacity and not as a representative in the National Assembly.Similarly, letters written to individuals in local authorities or parastatals for the support of the Swapo party office (project) were addressed to individuals and not to institutions,” Angula said.He did not respond to Gurirab’s other question on how much was pledged by the institutions he approached.Swapo held a gala dinner at the end of September and raised about N$635 000 to buy a huge 3 726-square-metre plot in Khomasdal, which cost N$682 700.Before that, at the end of August, Angula wrote to the Swakopmund municipality to request donations for the new Swapo regional head office.In his letter dated August 31 2006, and printed on a Swapo letterhead, the Prime Minister “humbly requested” the Swakop­mund municipality, as an “organisation”, to donate funds in one of four categories: N$50 000 or more (platinum category), N$30 000 (diamond), N$20 000 (gold) or N$15 000 (silver).A copy of the letter was among the documents prepared for the monthly Council meeting, which is open to the public.The Swakopmund Town Council discussed the matter during its monthly meeting end of last month.Councillor Paul Rooi, who chairs the Management Committee, told the other Councillors that the Committee had decided to book a table for N$5 000 for the Swapo gala event held in September at a Windhoek hotel.The amount was paid from official municipal funds.Rooi further noted that the Swakopmund municipality had requested the organisers to allow orphans and vulnerable children to sit at that table.At the council meeting, UDF member Sophia Mutinga complained about the donation to the ruling party.She wanted to know whether the municipality would consider similar requests from other political parties.Rooi reportedly replied that such requests would be considered on merit.CoD Member Tsudao Gurirab directed a similar query to the Finance Minister: whether it was true that Agribank, a Government institution, had donated money for the project.The bank’s Managing Director, Leonard Ipumbu, pledged N$20 000, allegedly on behalf of the bank, towards the project.Similar pledges were made by other companies.Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila responded earlier this month that she had been assured that “no payment was made by Agribank in favour of Swapo”.According to the Minister, contributions were made by individuals in their personal capacity.She did not say so, but her response leaves room for the interpretation that Ipumbu pledged the N$20 000 in his personal capacity, similar to Trustco boss Quinton van Rooyen, who pledged the same amount in his personal capacity.This was cl
arified by Trustco board chairman Theo Frank in a letter to The Namibian after an earlier news report on the Swapo dinner.Guests who attended the Swapo dinner told The Namibian that it had been their impression that Ipumbu had pledged the N$20 000 on behalf of the State-owned Agribank and not in his private capacity.Asked by Gurirab whether similar donations had been made to Swapo by State-owned enterprises or other political parties, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila merely replied that how they fulfilled their social responsibilities had to be decided by their boards of directors.”All State-owned enterprises are obliged to table their audited financial statements and any expense incurred for whatever purpose must be disclosed in those reports,” the Minister said.