Unam says it wants to hear from Swanu duo

THE University of Namibia has given two senior academics holding political office in Swanu seven days to state whether they want to continue with politics or in the academic field.

A disciplinary hearing last month found senior lecturers Usutuaije Maamberua and Dr Tangeni Iijambo guilty of breaching Unam policies by holding political office and addressing party gatherings. On Monday last week, Unam’s Director of Human Resources, Reginald Izaks, wrote to the two informing them about the outcome of the hearing and gave them 10 days to appeal to the Unam Council appeal committee.A day later, on Tuesday, the Pro Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Research Professor Osmund Mwandemele wrote to the duo giving them seven days to share their “intentions with regard to the political party leadership office you hold”.The two found Mwandemele’s letter inappropriate.”Why should we explain to him our intentions while the hearing is technically still on,” said Dr Iijambo.Their lawyer Jan Wessels of the law firm Stern and Barnard, has already informed The Namibian that his clients will appeal against the verdict and have also decided to approach the High Court to challenge the legality of the policy used to discipline them.The two were found guilty of having transgressed their conditions of employment by addressing public rallies of Swanu and twice failing to resign when instructed to do so.Wessels said they want to approach the High Court “for a declaratory order as to the constitutionality of the terms and conditions of employment” of Maamberua and Iijambo.Last year Unam informed some staff members who held party political office that they were in contravention of Unam employment policy.Unam’s actions came under fire from the two unions representing staff at the higher learning institution, the Namibia Public Workers’ Union (Napwu) and the Namibia National Teachers’ Union (Nantu), who called on the institution to drop the charges against the two academics.They said political association was entrenched in the Constitution as a basic human right to freedom of association and expression, and questioned the legality of Unam’s policy barring staff members from holding political office.Maamberua and Iijambo received letters informing them that they could not be in active politics five days after they were elected as party office bearers.On Monday last week, Unam’s Director of Human Resources, Reginald Izaks, wrote to the two informing them about the outcome of the hearing and gave them 10 days to appeal to the Unam Council appeal committee.A day later, on Tuesday, the Pro Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Research Professor Osmund Mwandemele wrote to the duo giving them seven days to share their “intentions with regard to the political party leadership office you hold”.The two found Mwandemele’s letter inappropriate.”Why should we explain to him our intentions while the hearing is technically still on,” said Dr Iijambo.Their lawyer Jan Wessels of the law firm Stern and Barnard, has already informed The Namibian that his clients will appeal against the verdict and have also decided to approach the High Court to challenge the legality of the policy used to discipline them.The two were found guilty of having transgressed their conditions of employment by addressing public rallies of Swanu and twice failing to resign when instructed to do so.Wessels said they want to approach the High Court “for a declaratory order as to the constitutionality of the terms and conditions of employment” of Maamberua and Iijambo.Last year Unam informed some staff members who held party political office that they were in contravention of Unam employment policy.Unam’s actions came under fire from the two unions representing staff at the higher learning institution, the Namibia Public Workers’ Union (Napwu) and the Namibia National Teachers’ Union (Nantu), who called on the institution to drop the charges against the two academics.They said political association was entrenched in the Constitution as a basic human right to freedom of association and expression, and questioned the legality of Unam’s policy barring staff members from holding political office.Maamberua and Iijambo received letters informing them that they could not be in active politics five days after they were elected as party office bearers.