Staff Writer
The Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) is in a state of chaos and anarchy due to bad management, employees have expressed in 28th of June letter to the board of trustees, the Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU and executive director, R. Bussel.
Bussel has been accused by NNC principal, Mek Jason, of having failed to comply with the NIMT training program which encompasses six months, opting to make sure of a substandard three month-program.
Jason has expressed that this has now undermined and tainted the integrity of the organisation as well as the industry and national interest.
He also accused Bussel of failing to come out clear on an amount of N$240 000 which allegedly got taken from an NNC account in January 2021.
“Failure to reply on official communications. Failure to provide information with regard to Automotive Mechatronics that replaced Diesel Mechanic. No training material provided. Providing misleading information to public as per NIMT information brochure, March 2022-August 2022,” said Mek in his litany of accusations against Bussel.
Mek has also highlighted that the NIMT ED has allowed a state of unruliness at the institution whereby subordinates are being allowed to give instructions to higher authority.
He also said that NIMT has failed to comply with internal assessment criteria which include two internal tests per semester, setting up question papers consisting 100 marks, setting different internal exam time tables for NNC and non-issuance of IBOS certificates among other issues.
“Incomplete question papers sent to NNC while other campuses received complete question papers causing NNC students to fail in big numbers. Failure to ensure that NIMT assessment is fair and transparent. Failure to hold management meetings,” he said.
The board of trustees has further been told that the elephant in the room at the institution is the huge wage bill at the head office which has become unsustainable.
Another employee who declined to be named has accused NIMT of “stealing money from NSFAF for many years”.
“If it was not for me to inform NSFAF and open their eyes, NSFAF would not have stopped a loan grant for a so-called level 4 at NIMT this year. NIMT has been claiming a level for loan grants from NSFAF since ever. This is a level for which NIMT doesn’t issue training neither a qualification.”
“Training at NIMT is completed over four years, at VTCs over three year. They all get a level 3 qualification and equally recognised by NQA. The training grant from NTA and loan grant from NSFAF towards a trainee at NIMT caters for four years.”
“At VTCs, those grants cater for only three years. We are talking of all trainees acquiring the same qualification, if the same NQF level from their respective institutions, but differently funded. Why…? Only now that NSFAF decided not to fund it anymore, NTA has not expressed their take on that yet.”
The Villager can confirm that some of the grievances concerning the alleged rot at NIMT have been sent over to higher education ministry executive director, Raimo Naanda.
