Suspended Nabta official calls meeting

DESPITE being suspended as National Secretary of the Namibia Bus and Taxi Association (Nabta), Vesper Muunda has called a meeting of Nabta members in the Oshana Region this Saturday.

Muunda told The Namibian that the meeting would discuss and review the situation with bus and taxi terminals in towns such as Oshakati, Ondangwa, Ongwediva and Oshikango, as well as other matters concerning Nabta. He said the meeting was important, and urged bus and taxi owners and their drivers to attend it.Muunda said the meeting would be held in the Oshana Youth Multipurpose hall in Oshakati, starting at 10h00.Nabta President Magnus Nangombe last month dismissed Oshana regional chairman Pendapala Nakathingo, who was appointed after the Nabta congress held at Otjiwarongo last year, with effect from October 9.Nangombe also announced the suspension of three exco members – National Secretary Vesper Muunda, Deputy National Treasurer Immanuel Ankambo and National Deputy Secretary Elvis Kauesa.A letter signed by Nangombe and his two vice presidents, Innocent Simasiku and Kalunda Mwengo, claimed Nakathingo had failed to convene several Nabta meetings in the region.The letter further charged that Nakathingo was not an active Nabta member, which disqualified him from serving in any of the organisation’s structures.He also “violated Nabta congress conditions, rules and requirements and entered the Nabta congress hall in Otjiwarongo through fraudulent means”, the letter claimed.Letters to Kauesa, Muunda and Ankambo said they were suspended because they too were not active members of Nabta and allegedly violated congress rules by entering the congress hall through fraudulent means.The letters also stated that they had been forbidden from acting on behalf of Nabta in any manner.Nakathingo, Muunda and Ankambo have dismissed Nangombe’s allegations.They claim they are being victimised because many members had voiced complaints about Nangombe at a Nabta meeting held in Windhoek on August 12.He said the meeting was important, and urged bus and taxi owners and their drivers to attend it.Muunda said the meeting would be held in the Oshana Youth Multipurpose hall in Oshakati, starting at 10h00.Nabta President Magnus Nangombe last month dismissed Oshana regional chairman Pendapala Nakathingo, who was appointed after the Nabta congress held at Otjiwarongo last year, with effect from October 9.Nangombe also announced the suspension of three exco members – National Secretary Vesper Muunda, Deputy National Treasurer Immanuel Ankambo and National Deputy Secretary Elvis Kauesa.A letter signed by Nangombe and his two vice presidents, Innocent Simasiku and Kalunda Mwengo, claimed Nakathingo had failed to convene several Nabta meetings in the region.The letter further charged that Nakathingo was not an active Nabta member, which disqualified him from serving in any of the organisation’s structures.He also “violated Nabta congress conditions, rules and requirements and entered the Nabta congress hall in Otjiwarongo through fraudulent means”, the letter claimed.Letters to Kauesa, Muunda and Ankambo said they were suspended because they too were not active members of Nabta and allegedly violated congress rules by entering the congress hall through fraudulent means.The letters also stated that they had been forbidden from acting on behalf of Nabta in any manner.Nakathingo, Muunda and Ankambo have dismissed Nangombe’s allegations.They claim they are being victimised because many members had voiced complaints about Nangombe at a Nabta meeting held in Windhoek on August 12.