Jo-Mare Duddy and Catherine Sasman

The Namibian

THE Public Service Workers’ Committee intends seeking a mandate from “10 000 or more” members of the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) to head to court and demand the release of the forensic audit into the millions lost through dicey investments through the Development Capital Portfolio (DCP).

Vouching not to give up until justice is served, committee chairlady Adeline Black yesterday said their legal team is busy drafting the necessary documents to get “power of attorney” from as many GIPF members as possible.

“We will start with the ministries [in Windhoek] and then go to the regions,” Black told The Namibian.

Black said over recent weeks the committee had meetings  with several unions, including the National Union for Namibian Workers (NUNW), the Teachers Union of Namibia (Tun), the Public Service Union of Namibia (PSUN) and a “few people from the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu)”.

In addition the committee met with the Namibian Non-Governmental Organisations Forum (Nangof).

The committee’s lawyers will approach the judiciary on behalf of primarily members of the GIPF in this regard, she said.

The group is now also requesting members of the wider public to come out in support by embarking on various sustained but peaceful public protests.

Black said those standing in the way of the release of the audit would be held liable, because they are “keen to frustrate and hamper” the unions’ efforts to enforce their rights as members of the GIPF to access information on the botched DCP investments that, according to the Cabinet-ordered forensic audit, resulted in the loss of N0 million.

Black said deliberate withholding of reports can further undermine the public servants’ chances of recovering the lost money and holding the former and current trustees of GIPF, as well as beneficiaries of the DCP accountable.

“GIPF’s DCP is a public interest matter, thus an earlier taken decision to probe the DCP was the right decision. Consequently the process has to be carried out fully in that the report, its findings and recommendations are made available at least to the members of GIPF,” she said.

Black urged the public to support the GIPF members while the legal process of approaching the judiciary is ongoing, to embark on various “sustained, peaceful public protest” at times and places that will still be announced within the next few weeks.

She further asked for financial and other support as it envisages a lengthy legal process.

“[It] was decided that a legal process will be set in motion (which has started already) as a matter of urgency, while pubic pressure will be applied on those institutions which are supposed to protect public interest,” said Black in a media statement.

“Trustees have a special responsibility to protect the interest of members and not borrowers from such pension funds they are supposed to exercise fiduciary duties on. We are convinced that this will send a clear message that mismanagement of people’s money must come to an end in our country,” the statement read.

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