PDM ghost follows Katjavivi into retirement
As former speaker of the National Assembly Peter Katjavivi bows out of public office, a political ghost from his final term continues to haunt him – six Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) parliamentarians are still demanding millions in unpaid benefits and accuse him of having quietly buried their claims.
Despite rulings in their favour by both the Electoral Court and Supreme Court, the MPs – Hidipo Hamata, Charmaine Tjirare, Yvette Araes, Maximalliant Katjimune, Raymond Diergaardt and Mike Venaani – remain uncompensated for the time they say they were unlawfully excluded from Parliament. Their case has become a thorny legacy issue that now trails Katjavivi into retirement.
According to Hamata, the group’s efforts to seek justice were systematically delayed and obstructed by senior parliamentary figures, with Katjavivi himself allegedly at the centre.
“There were constant promises, delays and apologies – but nothing materialised,” Hamata said. “Katjavivi told us payment was only a matter of minutes. In the end, he left office without honouring those words.”
The six MPs were removed from PDM’s gazetted list after the 2019 elections, sparking a prolonged legal battle. Only in June 2022 – more than two years later – were they sworn in, after court rulings confirmed their rightful positions.
Now, they are demanding back pay and benefits estimated at N$8 million, claiming the National Assembly has an obligation to compensate them retroactively from March 2020.
Hamata described a shadowy internal committee, allegedly formed by Katjavivi, that recognised the legal grounds for payment but ultimately stalled action. “It became clear he was just buying time until his term ended,” he said.
Threat of court
A final promise for clarity came just days before the new MPs were sworn in on 19 March. Hamata claimed Katjavivi brushed them off, citing speaker election duties, only to exit office before resolving the issue.
A legal letter sent by lawyer Norman Tjombe on behalf of the MPs now demands full payment, warning of court action should the matter remain unresolved.
Meanwhile, officials continue to cite delays in obtaining legal advice, while pension fund rules suggest the MPs’ benefits were due from the time of their first salary – a salary they never received.
Katjavivi, for his part, has denied any wrongdoing. He insists the National Assembly acted within legal bounds and only recognised MPs officially confirmed by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). “We do not act arbitrarily,” he said. “Anything outside that scope would have been illegal.”
Yet for Hamata and the other five, the issue is far from closed. “He told us, ‘We’re going to pay you,’ but it never happened,” Hamata said. “Now, he’s gone – and so is our patience.”
Despite rulings in their favour by both the Electoral Court and Supreme Court, the MPs – Hidipo Hamata, Charmaine Tjirare, Yvette Araes, Maximalliant Katjimune, Raymond Diergaardt and Mike Venaani – remain uncompensated for the time they say they were unlawfully excluded from Parliament. Their case has become a thorny legacy issue that now trails Katjavivi into retirement.
According to Hamata, the group’s efforts to seek justice were systematically delayed and obstructed by senior parliamentary figures, with Katjavivi himself allegedly at the centre.
“There were constant promises, delays and apologies – but nothing materialised,” Hamata said. “Katjavivi told us payment was only a matter of minutes. In the end, he left office without honouring those words.”
The six MPs were removed from PDM’s gazetted list after the 2019 elections, sparking a prolonged legal battle. Only in June 2022 – more than two years later – were they sworn in, after court rulings confirmed their rightful positions.
Now, they are demanding back pay and benefits estimated at N$8 million, claiming the National Assembly has an obligation to compensate them retroactively from March 2020.
Hamata described a shadowy internal committee, allegedly formed by Katjavivi, that recognised the legal grounds for payment but ultimately stalled action. “It became clear he was just buying time until his term ended,” he said.
Threat of court
A final promise for clarity came just days before the new MPs were sworn in on 19 March. Hamata claimed Katjavivi brushed them off, citing speaker election duties, only to exit office before resolving the issue.
A legal letter sent by lawyer Norman Tjombe on behalf of the MPs now demands full payment, warning of court action should the matter remain unresolved.
Meanwhile, officials continue to cite delays in obtaining legal advice, while pension fund rules suggest the MPs’ benefits were due from the time of their first salary – a salary they never received.
Katjavivi, for his part, has denied any wrongdoing. He insists the National Assembly acted within legal bounds and only recognised MPs officially confirmed by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). “We do not act arbitrarily,” he said. “Anything outside that scope would have been illegal.”
Yet for Hamata and the other five, the issue is far from closed. “He told us, ‘We’re going to pay you,’ but it never happened,” Hamata said. “Now, he’s gone – and so is our patience.”
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