Renthia Kaimbi
Documents obtained by the Windhoek Observer reveal that cash-based payment data for 2013 and 2019 went missing from the USB drive Namibia Post Ltd (NamPost) provided to the government.
On Friday it emerged that the ministry of gender equality and child welfare (MGECW) allegedly found that about N$65 million in cash-based grant funds handled by NamPost was unaccounted for and owed back to the state.
The unreturned funds relate to the period from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2019, excluding the missing data from 2013 and 2019.
The documents indicate that payments were made “over the counter” and remained unclaimed due to outdated accounts, unsuspended accounts of deceased beneficiaries, or general unclaimed funds.
Refunds owed to the government did not include beneficiaries paid through NamPost savings accounts.
A reconciliation process was required to confirm that grant transfers reached the intended recipients, but this process often stretched into new financial years.
The report says a newly proposed “grant commitment and reconciliation division” is now responsible for finalising the matter.
The alleged missing amounts included about N$6.4 million in 2009, N$5.5 million in 2010, N$2.3 million in 2011, and N$4.1 million in 2012.
Other losses were around N$4 million in 2014, N$7.7 million in 2015, N$11 million in 2016, N$12.5 million in 2017, and N$11.1 million in 2018.
The document also alleges that no service level agreement was signed between the government and NamPost.
Despite several meetings with the ministry, NamPost reportedly failed to provide proof of payment or refund records.
The report claims NamPost charged the government service fees for December 2019 even though no grants were paid that month.
Beneficiaries had received double payments in November 2019, with the next round scheduled for January 2020.
“We are not aware of such investigations. This appears to be part of the ongoing, very well-orchestrated attacks on NamPost Namibia since the announcement on social grants,” NamPost said on its social media platforms on Friday.
NamPost rejected what it called “misleading reports of missing funds”.
“NamPost has taken note of the serious, misleading, and false allegations circulating on social media platforms alleging the disappearance of N$100 million from NamPost.”
NamPost said it has full confidence in its financial records, including accounting for funds received for social grant purposes.
The document further noted that the treasury had asked NamPost to open a separate bank account for pension funds.
Without a dedicated account for grants, no cash book or bank reconciliation for the grant fund was available.
It stressed that bank reconciliation is necessary to detect fraud and identify differences between records.
NamPost is currently without a chief executive officer after Festus Hangula’s extended tenure ended on Friday.
His farewell party was underway as questions sent to NamPost chief operations officer Willem Mouton went unanswered.
“I’m at a function, please send me a message or email…” he responded.
The ministry of finance denied knowledge of any investigation.
Spokesperson at the ministry of finance, Wilson Shikoto, also dismissed the allegations.
“We categorically state that the allegations being circulated are completely unfounded and devoid of any truth. There is no basis to the claims, and they do not reflect the facts of the matter. We urge the public and the media to verify information before drawing conclusions, as such baseless allegations only serve to mislead and create unnecessary confusion,” he said.
