Renthia Kaimbi
National Youth Council director Calista Schwartz-Gowases is demanding that her name be cleared and her legal fees repaid as her term ends this month.
She says unproven misconduct allegations have damaged her reputation and wants an independent mediator to resolve the dispute.
Schwartz-Gowases made the request through her lawyers, Shipindo & Associates, in a letter to interim board chairperson Kennedy Kariseb on Monday last week.
“Our client essentially wants her name cleared from all such allegations before the parties part ways. We request for the Board Resolution and minutes of the meeting that gave effect to such action,” she wrote.
She questioned the decision not to renew her contract and asked that an external independent mediator be appointed to resolve all outstanding grievances.
“To date, no such meeting has taken place. Our client has requested that an external independent person be appointed to mediate such a process to ensure fairness and transparency in the resolution of all such issues, as some of her grievances stem from dealings with the previous boards and some current interim board members,” the letter reads.
She was formally notified on 7 July 2025 that her contract, which ends on 12 December, would not be extended.
In the letter, she demanded a formal resolution clearing her name, saying the allegations have affected her professional standing and future employment prospects.
“The necessitation of an external mediator is also premised on there being allegations of misconduct against our client, which misconducts have not been proven yet; this impression lingers with the public perception and affects the reputation of our client and her future employment endeavours.
Kariseb acknowledged receiving the letter and stated that they were handling the matter internally.
“Yes, I am aware of the letter, and so are the board members of the interim board. Regrettably, this is an internal confidential issue pending before the Board, which the Board has to address. I cannot comment on this matter,” he said.
Recent internal disputes now centre on official travel. Some staff members accused Kariseb of authorising trips for the director in violation of the NYC’s finance policy. They also claimed she recently travelled to South Africa and was set to go to Burundi from 8 to 13 December. The Windhoek Observer established she travelled through South Africa from Djibouti and will not travel to Burundi because the trip overlaps with her final days in office.
Kariseb said all her trips were approved and necessary. He noted a travel moratorium for interim board members and said only he and the director are authorised to represent NYC. “In the absence that I can not travel… the next in line is the Director,” he said.
He defended the trip to Malaysia for a Commonwealth youth conference, saying it required high-level representation. He said Schwartz-Gowases received the International Commonwealth Youth Work Award there for “exemplary leadership and dedication to the empowerment and development of young people.”
He also justified her participation in the Pan African Youth Forum in Djibouti, saying she travelled as part of an official delegation. “Are we to also question their travel or is it only the Director? Did the other institutions not incur any costs for these trips or is it only NYC?” he asked.
Kariseb denied approving any travel to Burundi. “I have not approved or signed off any approval for [the Director’s] trip to Bujumbura, Burundi,” he said.
He criticised two staff members for neglecting urgent duties, including unaudited financials, and instead focusing on internal disputes. “This is highly regrettable and I hope, as I have been appealing to them to repent and focus on their respective responsibilities. It is also regrettable that they constantly remain sick or unavailable when the institution needs their services, but have ample time (and skill) to accuse and continue undermining the institution,” he said.
He added that all expenses were budgeted and that Schwartz-Gowases was carrying out her duties until her final day.
Schwartz-Gowases has faced repeated internal disputes throughout her tenure. She was first suspended in March 2024 after a chaotic council meeting in Ondangwa that included an alleged near-physical confrontation. She was reinstated in March 2025 after Metcalfe Beukes Attorneys ruled the suspension unlawful and unprocedural.
In June 2025, reports surfaced that the board had placed her on forced leave to allow investigations into grievances against her.
She denied this and said she continued reporting for duty daily. The reports emerged after she demanded reimbursement of N$180 000 for legal costs she incurred during her suspension.
The board is also examining how she served as director for five years without a formal employment contract.
Schwartz-Gowases previously accused the council’s finance manager, whose grievance triggered her suspension, of selectively applying procurement rules.
Former board members accused former chairperson Beverly Silas-Garas of commissioning an unauthorised investigation into Schwartz-Gowases through Metcalfe Beukes Attorneys, resulting in a disputed legal bill of N$345,000.
A forensic report delivered to former ministers Agnes Tjongarero and Iipumbu Shiimi in March 2024 detailed governance failures, corruption, and structural weaknesses within the NYC.
Former board members also said they never received the findings.
Then the minister of youth, Agnes Tjongarero, dismissed the previous board in December 2024, but the decision was later withdrawn through a court settlement.
Current line minister Sanet Steenkamp is now dealing with appeals from both sides. The interim board has requested permission to set up a disciplinary committee, while Schwartz-Gowases insists on mediation.
Steenkamp previously said she would review the matter. As of publication, she had not responded to questions from the Windhoek Observer about resolving the conflict or appointing a new director.
The term of the interim board ends in March 2026.
