Business Reporter
THE Acting President of the Mine Workers Union of Namibia, Poco Key Mathew Mberiuana, has said that since the removal of the former president of the union, Ismael Kasuto, and vice president Desley Somseb through a vote of no confidence on Sunday, 28 April 2024, the leadership carried out various investigations into the dealings of the former leaders, revealing that the former President, Kasuto, illegally withdrew an amount of N$250 000 from the union.
Mberiuana said that the money was withdrawn from the mines’ Namibia Miners Investment Trust (NAMIT) for personal use by Kasuto and that he further transferred it into a bank account of a local law firm.
“It is worth mentioning that by the time Kasuto withdrew this amount of money, he was already removed as President of MUN, and had already received his removal letter. The National Executive Committee (NEC) is hard at work to make sure that this members’ money is recovered,” Mberiuana said.
He added that it was also discovered that the former vice president Somseb, under the watchful eyes of the former president, Kasuto, changed the deed of Trust founder from being MUN, to his personal name.
“This action is tantamount to commercial fraud and theft. Thus, the NEC is busy transforming the ownership of the NAMIT back into the name of the MUN as an Organization, from Somseb’s individualization status. It was also established that, despite the clear position of the NAMIT Deed of Trust that states that trustees of NAMIT should be 17, Kasuto and Somseb conveniently and fraudulently only chose to register nine Trustees with the master of High Court,” the acting president said.
He added that on Friday, 10 May 2024, Ismael Kasuto and Desley Somseb chose to approach the High Court on an urgent basis to challenge their legitimate and democratic removal from their former positions.
Mberiuana, however, added that the union lawyer successfully defended the union, and the case was dismissed with costs.
“The leadership at its meeting of 11 May 2024, took the following resolutions: that the union membership of Ismael Kasuto and Desley Somseb be suspended with immediate effect, pending further investigation and disciplinary enquiries, and that the MUN undertake a forensic audit of its financial affairs for the period of 2025 to 2022. The office of the General Secretary, accompanied by the national treasurer and financial consultant, had a meeting with the senior manager for forensic services department at PWC, where the union was requested to come up with a scope of work, terms of reference, and clear objectives for the exercise. The meeting of 11 May 2024, thus directed the office of the General Secretary to draft clear terms of reference in this regard and submit to leadership for approval a week after the said meeting. This will then be forwarded to PWC to determine the cost of the exercise. It is therefore futile and misleading to insinuate that the former President and Vice President were removed from their positions because certain NEC members are attempting to hinder the conclusion of this process,” Mberiuana concluded.
