By Stefanus Nashama

City of Windhoek chief executive officer Moses Matyayi has hit back at claims that he pocketed over N$300,000 in subsistence and travel (S&T) allowances for four trips abroad, describing the allegations as a witch-hunt orchestrated by dark forces to tarnish his reputation. This follows claims by whistleblowers revealing that Matyayi has approved his own international trips to Germany and Russia, receiving a hefty S&T payment. Responding to Confidente, Matyayi dismissed the claims, saying they were malicious and devoid of evidence.

“I am aware that there are dark forces pushing their agenda to tarnish my name without facts or empirical evidence,” Matyayi said.
“As journalists, you know that professionalism and media ethics should guide any story presented to the public. Mere right of reply is not justification for publishing personalised and unfounded claims.”

Matyayi said he could not comment further, citing the confidential nature of company matters. Meanwhile, City of Windhoek mayor Ndeshihafela Larandja said she would not comment on the matter in the absence of evidence. “Unfortunately, I cannot comment on this allegation without any proof provided to me,” Larandja stated. She, however, emphasised that the CEO’s travels both domestic and international are operational functions undertaken to implement council resolutions. 

She cited the Code of Conduct for Local Authority Councillors, which prohibits political office bearers from interfering in administrative processes. “Code 4.3.1 (1) says a councillor may not interfere in the administrative procedure of the council. Code 4.3.4 says a Councillor has, in his or her capacity as an individual councilor, no administrative or executive powers in the operation of a council.”

“As an individual councillor, I have no administrative or executive powers in the operation of the council,” she added.
The controversy comes amid growing scrutiny over public spending in local authorities. Recently, urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa warned local authority bigwigs against misusing public funds, saying that financial management laws will catch up with offenders even after leaving office.

“To those who are defiant, there are laws in place that will deal with them. They will pay back that money, even if they are no longer councillors. If we find out that you owe money, we will come after you, wherever you are,” said Sankwasa.
“I placed that ban for the councils to use whatever money they have for important issues and that is why all trips outside the country have to be approved by the minister.”

The minister’s warning followed an incident in which he blocked eight City of Windhoek councillors from travelling to Lesotho for the Southern African Inter-Municipality Sports Association (SAIMA) Games, a trip that would have cost the municipality over N$1 million in S&T allowances. The coucillors are Joseph Uapingene of NUDO, Austin Kwenani, Matheus Shoongo, Magdalena Lombardt of SWAPO and Popular Democratic Movement's Carolina Hanases as well as Landless People's Movement's Ivan Skrywer and Sade Gawanas.

A City insider recently told Confidente that: “The councillors wanted to go and watch the games only, they are not participating. They forced themselves on the trip because of the S&T. This is given the fact that this would have been the last trip before the elections and money was the driving force behind this.”