|
|
Namibia: Suggestions of Financial Mismanagement By Pohamba Shifeta Withdrawn
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
New Era (Windhoek)
28 March 2008
Posted to the web 28 March 2008
Windhoek
1. In June 2006, we published a report under the heading "Pohamba Shifeta under scrutiny." It reported that Deputy Minister Pohamba Shifeta was being investigated by the National Executive Committee ("NEC") of the Namibian Youth Council ("NYC") for financial irregularities during his term of office (as former Secretary-General of the NYC).
2. In the report, we also stated that a member of the NEC had disclosed to our reporter that approximately N$40000.00 had been allocated to an NYC project, Open Talk and that it had gone missing during Mr Shifeta's tenure and that this would be investigated. In the report, it was also stated that Mr Shifeta denied these allegations. He did so in some detail and suspected that it was part of some political witch-hunt against him.
3. On the next day, the Editor, under the heading "Matter of fact", accepted that the impression could have been created that the initial report had suggested that Mr Shifeta was possibly guilty of mishandling funds under his control. The Editor then proceeded to make it clear that this newspaper in no way intended to create the impression that there was any substance to such an allegation and expressed regret for any misconception caused by the headline.
4. A further report was published in which a vehement denial of the allegation was made by the incumbent Secretary-General of the NYC, who also denied that any such investigation was being conducted or would proceed. The report also then identified Mr Armis Amukwiyu as the source of the original report. He was the then Chairperson of the NYC.
5. A report also appeared in the Lozi language in this newspaper, essentially summarizing the original report.
6. Mr Shifeta thereafter instituted a damages action against this newspaper, the Editor, the Chief Executive Officer and the reporter concerned as well as citing Mr Amukwiyu as a defendant.
7. This newspaper has defended that action because we believe that our reporter acted reasonably and without negligence by relying upon the Chairperson of the NYC for the allegation made - concerning a decision of the NYC to have an investigation into alleged financial irregularities which occurred during Mr Shifeta's tenure as Secretary-General of the NYC. Our reporter at the time also checked Mr Amukwiyu's credentials as Chairperson of NYC and as a community leader in the Oshikoto region before publishing the initial report. Our reporter also contacted Mr Shifeta and published his denials and comments in the initial report which was published.
8. We believe that our reporter was reasonable in preparing his report and that he acted without negligence. We published the reports on that basis and acted in good faith in doing so and without any knowledge that any portion of the initial or subsequent reports could have been untrue.
|
9. Shortly before the matter has proceeded to trial, we have been provided with documentation by Mr Amukwiyu to support his allegations against Mr Shifeta. We have considered these documents and accept that they do not establish any financial impropriety on the part of Mr Shifeta or that there were financial irregularities at the NYC which can be attributed to him during his tenure as Secretary-General.
10. We now accept that there was no investigation as alleged and furthermore accept that no need is established for an investigation into Mr Shifeta or his management of the NYC during his term of office by the documentation now provided to us.
11. We accordingly retract and withdraw any allegation of financial irregularity or a suggestion of this on the part of Mr Shifeta during his term as Secretary-General of the NYC and that an investigation was set up or is needed. We reiterate that our reports were published in good faith and that the original (and later) reports were published reasonably and without negligence by relying upon Mr Amukwiyu's allegations to that effect as we set out above.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 New Era. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
