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namib times
SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO 6793 TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER 2018 Tel: +264 64 - 205854 / +264 64 - 461866 /Fax: +264 64 - 204813 / 064 - 461824 / Website: www.namibtimes.net
Heads must roll Municipal employees welcome whistleblower “from among their ranks” who blew the cover on credit card misuse. Floris Steenkamp Three employees of the municipality of Walvis Bay, through namib times, called upon the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over the weekend to “dig deeper” behind the credit card fraud allegedly committed by Clr Samson Nghilumbwa. Nghilumbwa is a town councillor and chairperson of Council’s management committee. He is accused of having abused his municipal credit card to the tune of N$83 000. Instead of using the credit card for strictly council business, Nghilumbwa instead allegedly withdrew cash at various automated teller machines at casinos and spent the money on alcohol purchases. “How did the municipality’s financial system not picked up the abuse of this credit card for four months?”, asked one municipal employee over the weekend. Adding had the statements been perused and balanced regularly, the mis-spending would have been pick up almost immediately. “We as municipality of Walvis Bay unfor-
tunately have the culture to rather turn a blind eye on councillors or senior employees’ conduct”, said a second employee. She expressed her satisfaction with the fact that a whistleblower from within the municipality notified the ACC of the alleged financial misconduct committed by Clr Nghilumbwa. “It is high time that we as employees of the municipality of Walvis Bay stand up against the abuses taking place under our very eyes in our different departments. We always rely on the media to uncover corruption and other wrongdoings, yet in so many councils across the country it is we as local authority employees who knows and have the information available to assist the Anti-Corruption Continues on page 2
Embattled: Clr Samson Nghilumbwa
Tragedy narrowly averted A semi-rigid inflatable boat encountered engine trouble off Mile 8 on Saturday. On top of the engine trouble, the boat’s one pontoon also deflated, causing the vessel to partially sink. A ski-boat which was catching snoek in the area raced to the four occupants of the stricken boat’s rescue. A towline was attached to the partially sunken boat and it was pulled to the shallows. With the snoek season here, boat owners are urged to ensure their vessels’ have the necessary emergency kit aboard and that boats are in a seaworthy condition.
Maria Wilken dies after short illness The death occurred in Pretoria on Thursday of Mrs Maria Wilken, the spouse of the long serving town clerk of Walvis Bay, the late Mr Jan Wilken. Mrs Wilken relocated to South Africa shortly after Mr Wilken’s death in 2009. Mrs Wilken would have turned 90 on 25 October. According to relatives Mrs Wilken suffered from pneumonia in recent weeks. She made a full recovery, but she suffered a fatal heart attack on Thursday. It is believed the heart attack was caused by damage to the heart as a result of the pneumonia.
inside Another tourist attack NAMIBIA Page 4
Four container vessels
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There’s HOPE
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Sevens team dominated by coastal players
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