Allexer Namundjembo
Outjo chief executive officer Tiofilia Jentzsch is demanding an apology over what she says are false corruption claims linked to the Outjo Fire Station tender.
According to a letter of demand dated 20 April, Sisa Namandje & Co. Incorporated, acting on her behalf, instructed Outjo-based activist McKay Oswald Losper to retract statements made on social media.
The letter states that Losper published claims accusing Jentzsch of being “implicated in the corruption of the Outjo Fire Station”, which the firm says are false and defamatory.
The letter asserts that Jentzsch has not faced any charges related to corruption and that the claims lack any foundation.
“Our client’s dignity, reputation and standing have been unlawfully damaged by the publication of false statements imputing criminal conduct,” the letter reads.
The legal team also objected to other remarks allegedly made by Losper about workplace relations and the use of a derogatory term said to refer to Jentzsch.
The letter demands that Losper stop publishing the claims, remove posts within 24 hours and issue a full retraction and apology.
In response, Losper told the Windhoek Observer that the statements were posted on his private WhatsApp status and were meant to raise concerns about governance and procurement linked to the fire station project.
He said he did not mention any person by full name or official title.
“I referred generally to a certain Tiofilia in relation to concerns about financial transactions linked to the contractor,” he said.
Losper said his intention was not to defame anyone but to raise issues about public procurement.
He also questioned the process of appointing the Outjo Municipality chief executive officer, saying it had flaws and is before court.
In February this year, the High Court set aside former urban and rural development minister Erastus Uutoni’s refusal to approve Jentzsch’s appointment as CEO of the Outjo Municipality.
High Court judge Andrew Corbett ruled that the 2024 decision was unreasonable, lacked proper justification and failed to meet constitutional requirements for fair administrative action.
The court found that the minister did not provide clear reasons or show that he had properly considered the matter.
Jentzsch, who had emerged as the top candidate after the recruitment process, challenged the decision after it was declined without detailed explanation.
The court ordered Uutoni’s successor, James Sankwasa, to reconsider the matter within 60 days.
