Ex-police commissioner slammedBusinessman William Mbangula has taken issue with retired Oshana police chief Ndahangwapo Kashihakumwa following comments made in Namibian Sun last year, where Kashihakumwa castigated Mbangula for not telling the truth. Mbangula takes issue with Kashihakumwa comments Businessman William Mbangula has taken issue with retired Oshana police chief Ndahangwapo Kashihakumwa following comments made in Namibian Sun last year, where Kashihakumwa castigated Mbangula for not telling the truth. The standoff relates to a story carried by Namibian Sun on 8 April 2015 regarding a demonstration against the principal of Joseph Mbangula Primary School in the Oshana Region. Mbangula led the demonstration where the principal was among others, accused of sexual harassment. In the article Kashihakumwa was quoted saying “Mbangula must learn to tell the truth. That matter was not reported to us and Mbangula never came to my office to enquire about it. I only learned about it from the director recently when she made enquiries about it”.
However, Mbangula perceives the comment by Kashihakumwa as defamatory saying that it seemed as if he is a habitual liar and addicted to telling lies. Mbangula later issued a media statement expressing his views about the retired commissioner.
“As far as I am concerned, there are only two reasons why such a high ranking police officer is making such a baseless statement. Firstly he was not properly briefed by his subordinates about the situation on the matter and secondly he might be protecting his officers for failing to do a proper job,” he stated.
When contacted recently, Kashihakumwa said that he did not refer to Mbangula as a habitual liar as his comment was only based on the issue which he was contacted for at the time.
“I did not refer to him as a habitual liar because I did not deal with him on a number of issues so therefore there is no reason I should call him that. I only commented on that specific case,” Kashihakumwa explained.
Sexual harassment claims
Mbangula in the article stated that the police was informed about the sexual harassment allegations against the principal, which Kashihakumwa denied.
To justify his claim that police indeed visited the school to investigate the matter, Mbangula provided two sworn statements taken under oath by a former learner at the school and a teacher currently still working at the school which were taken on 18 and 29 April this year, respectively.
Both statements state that police officers indeed visited the school in 2013 and interviewed learners on the allegations made against the school principal.
“In 2013, police officers came to our school to investigate allegations of sexual harassment allegedly committed by the principal against female learners,” the teacher’s statement read.
A former learner claims she was one of three female victims involved in issue and said in her statement that the school principal sexually harassed her.
The principal denied the allegations levelled against him last year.
According to Oshana Education Director, Hileni Amukana, the ministry has received claims of sexual harassment at the Joseph Mbangula Primary School and investigations were still not yet finalised.
KENYA KAMBOWE