• By Jeremiah Ndjoze

As the rot at the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) is alleged to be systemic, various forms of corrupt activities are said to be manifesting themselves, in various forms, at the education parastatal. 

In a letter dated 18 April 2025 and addressed to the NTA Board Chairman, Jerome Mutumba, concerned employees of the government agency maintained that the entity is plagued by amongst others, the misuse of the Key Priority Fund of the institution, procurement irregularities, and inconsistent application of the travel policy.  

The aggrieved employees further decried the alleged lack of transparency in recruitment and promotions, disrespect for institutional structure by some members of management and the overall abuse of power and lack of accountability.

THE CONCERNS
Pleading for anonymity, ‘due to the real threat of victimisation,’ the concerned group of employees revealed that the NTA receives over N$700 million annually through the Key Priority Fund. However, they highlighted a serious lack of transparency in how these funds are spent citing that projects are intentionally kept below the board’s approval threshold to avoid oversight, creating loopholes for personal gain.

“This raises the question: why should the government continue funding NTA’s operations when the institution has the capacity to sustain itself through proper utilisation of this fund? We believe that, under your leadership, these issues can be addressed decisively and that government funding can be redirected to areas of greater national need,” the employees wrote.

They further alleged that the procurement process at NTA is riddled with manipulation and favouritism.  “Tenders are often awarded to friends and associates without advertisement [and the] Procurement Committee resolutions are concealed from process owners. [Also] External parties face intentional payment delays unless bribes are paid to expedite the process,” Confidente was informed.

 The employees called for the enforcement of strict payment timelines and transparent procurement practices to eliminate this alleged corrupt practice. The aggrieved staff further took issue with the fact that, despite the NTA having a formal travel policy, which governs the allocation of subsistence and travel allowances (S&T), its application is inconsistent and biased with some travel request being rejected without reason or communication, while certain junior level employees get to accompany their seniors on trips ‘despite not being eligible to attend management meetings’. This, they said, leads to a wastage of public funds. 

“Such favouritism undermines accountability and morale. Executive training on governance and ethical leadership is urgently required,” they wrote. 

Furthermore, it was alleged that some members of management are involved in practices that erodes the NTA’s organisational structure, causes instability, and undermines leadership.  “We have witnessed how continuous humiliation and exclusion can drive people to desperate actions—a situation we must prevent,” the employees cautioned.

It has further emerged that the recruitment process at the government agency lacks fairness and transparency as internal candidates are often rejected, while individuals with personal ties to executives are hired externally and rapidly promoted “often without the required experience.”

Serious allegations have also emerged about interview questions being leaked in advance, leading to the appointment of incompetent individuals, which “in turn forces the creation of additional roles to compensate for their lack of capacity.”

Meanwhile, according to the staffers, the NTA continues to expand its staff complement “unnecessarily” to the point that “many employees work as little as two to three hours a day.” “The current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has multiple personal assistants, unlike the previous CEO, who had only one. Even Center Managers are suspected of misusing sponsorship funds—following the precedent set by certain individuals.”

CALL TO ACTION
As a result the concerned employees called on Mutumba to as a matter of urgency halt government funding to the NTA until full accountability is restored. The concerned party also called for “an independent forensic audit of the Key Priority Fund and regional center sponsorships.”

They further implored the Board to “restructure the executive management based on merit and integrity, and to enforce governance and accountability training for all senior leaders.” The employees also called for an end to unnecessary appointments and the reallocation of resources to essential functions.

BOARD RESPONSE
Mutumba told Confidente that; “the Board was made aware of the concerns raised in the letter in question and it has since then instituted measures in place to proactively manage potential risks emanating from some points in the letter, much of which are mere perceptions and speculation on the surface.”

“But those closer to facts have been addressed at an emergency board meeting about [a few] weeks ago. Clarity has been provided and Board resolutions were taken to mitigate potential risks,” Mutumba said. 

He maintained that “the Board issued directives on roles and accountabilities for respective conflicted roles to avoid potential infractions of policy guidelines” and further held a staff feedback session thereafter and provided guidance henceforth.  “The Board remains committed to [the] active risk management framework of NTA and it will continue to be responsive to stakeholders to fulfil [the] NTA mandate,” Mutumba stressed.