Kanyetu’s N$500 000 demand not yet discussed - APP
All People’s Party (APP) acting president, Erastus Nangolo Shuumbwa, says the party has not yet discussed the letter of demand from the lawyers of their former secretary-general, Vincent Kanyetu, who is demanding a public apology and N$500 000 for being accused of sexual harassment, a charge he was exonerated from.
In an interview over the weekend, Shuumbwa told Namibian Sun that he received the letter from Kanyetu’s lawyer, Greyling and Associates, on 3 October, demanding a public apology as well as a N$500 000 payout in damages to his reputation and dignity.
The party was given seven days from receipt of the letter to act or face legal action.
“I did receive the letter, and I forwarded it to our acting secretary-general. I did not get any response from him. A matter of this nature should be discussed at the national level, and we did not have such a meeting yet, hence the party has made no decision on that matter,” Shuumbwa said.
‘No evidence’
According to the letter of demand, APP charged Kanyetu with sexual harassment, alleging that he made sexual advances towards a party administrator. He was subsequently suspended on this charge plus five other charges.
At the hearing conducted a few months ago, Kanyetu was found guilty on other charges related to misconduct and being unfit to carry out his duties. However, he was exonerated from the sexual harassment charge, leading to his demand for compensation and a public apology.
“Despite there being no evidence to suggest that our client was guilty of sexual harassment, the national chairperson, Mr Linus Muchila, still elected to pursue and institute the said charge against our client,” a lawyer letter reads.
“It is our instructions that your persistence with the charge as well as the public announcement that our client was suspended for sexual harassment and the continuation of the prosecution for sexual harassment was no more than an attempt to defame and discredit our client; in essence, you engaged in a smear campaign against our client.
“As a result of your defamatory conduct, our client has suffered severe damage to his dignity as well as severe emotional distress. Our client accordingly demands, within seven days hereof, a public apology which contains an acknowledgement that our client never sexually harassed any employee and payment of damages in the amount of N$ 500 000.”
Kanyetu has been barred from APP, and according to the veteran politician, his expulsion from the party resulted from his comments on the issue of same-sex marriage, which angered some senior party members.
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In an interview over the weekend, Shuumbwa told Namibian Sun that he received the letter from Kanyetu’s lawyer, Greyling and Associates, on 3 October, demanding a public apology as well as a N$500 000 payout in damages to his reputation and dignity.
The party was given seven days from receipt of the letter to act or face legal action.
“I did receive the letter, and I forwarded it to our acting secretary-general. I did not get any response from him. A matter of this nature should be discussed at the national level, and we did not have such a meeting yet, hence the party has made no decision on that matter,” Shuumbwa said.
‘No evidence’
According to the letter of demand, APP charged Kanyetu with sexual harassment, alleging that he made sexual advances towards a party administrator. He was subsequently suspended on this charge plus five other charges.
At the hearing conducted a few months ago, Kanyetu was found guilty on other charges related to misconduct and being unfit to carry out his duties. However, he was exonerated from the sexual harassment charge, leading to his demand for compensation and a public apology.
“Despite there being no evidence to suggest that our client was guilty of sexual harassment, the national chairperson, Mr Linus Muchila, still elected to pursue and institute the said charge against our client,” a lawyer letter reads.
“It is our instructions that your persistence with the charge as well as the public announcement that our client was suspended for sexual harassment and the continuation of the prosecution for sexual harassment was no more than an attempt to defame and discredit our client; in essence, you engaged in a smear campaign against our client.
“As a result of your defamatory conduct, our client has suffered severe damage to his dignity as well as severe emotional distress. Our client accordingly demands, within seven days hereof, a public apology which contains an acknowledgement that our client never sexually harassed any employee and payment of damages in the amount of N$ 500 000.”
Kanyetu has been barred from APP, and according to the veteran politician, his expulsion from the party resulted from his comments on the issue of same-sex marriage, which angered some senior party members.
[email protected]
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