WINDHOEK SELMA IKELA
A defiant Namibia Bus and Taxi Association (Nabta) has held fresh executive elections, despite apparently being de-registered by the Labour Commissioner.
Vespa Muunda was elected as Nabta president during its fourth congress, held in Windhoek last week. Muunda, who formerly held the portfolio of chief administration and executive officer, replaces Magnus Nangombe as Nabta president.
Addressing the media yesterday Nabta's chairman Pendapala Nakathingo said it should not be confused with a breakaway association called the Namibia Public Passenger Transport Association (NPPTA).
Nabta is in a fight for its credibility, after it was allegedly de-registered by the Labour Commissioner, although the association says it not yet received any official confirmation about this.
Nakathingo said Nabta had been sabotaged by its former office administrator Cenliver Uapingena Karuaera, who he claimed made sure that government's correspondence asking for their associations annual returns did not reach the executive.
Karuaera is now with NPPTA.
Muunda said NPPTA members continue to intercept letters meant for Nabta. He further accused NPPTA members of using his association's templates after removing Nabta's letterhead and replacing it with their own.
Nakathingo said Nabta's mission under its new leadership is to restructure the association and improve the public transport regulatory system, permit system, tariff and commuter charging system, amongst others.
He said they will also address and resolve the issues of forgery, fraud, embezzlement of funds and property vandalism, allegedly being perpetrated by NPPTA members.
Nakathingo repeated allegations made earlier this year that N$4,1 million of Nabta's money had gone missing.
He added that the association had allegedly uncovered bank accounts opened in its name, but there are no funds in them.
Therefore we say a lot of investigation is done. Nabta will make sure this public money and its properties is returned back and advises NPPTA members to stop spreading false information to the general public and to stop misleading some government ministries, he said.
He said Nabta has opened police cases against NPPTA members, including for alleged housebreaking and theft of its documents and files, and two cases of forgery and fraud.
He added they have established an advisory committee on public transport, which includes seven ministries.