Staff Writer
One Africa TV’s owner and Namibia Revenue Agency (NAMRA) board member, Stefan Hugo, faces the prospect of being dragged to court by an ex-employee after criminal charges were opened against him over a labour issue gone wrong.
The matter has been brought to the fore by One Africa TV’s ex-senior journalist, Leston Wohler, who has clamed that he was dismissed on flimsy charges after he refused to take a N$40 000 voluntary separation package in 2021.
“The offer was then increased to N$42 000 after I got suspended to entice me to take the money and leave but I said no. That was on the 29th of October 2021. Hugo walked me out as if I had stolen something, he made me pack my things in front of everyone, it was embarrassing to be honest,” the disgruntled journalist narrates.
Wohler says that soon after this, the broadcaster brought against him a litany of accusations including insubordination, disrespect, and late submission of content.
He also claims that the N$40 000 offer he rejected was then given over to controversial human rights activist, August Maletzky, who was brought in as an independent chairperson of the disciplinary hearing which later unfolded.
Hugo has in the meantime told The Villager that he was aware of all the accusations against him, but insisted that Wohler is seeking to bring his company down.
“What can I send you the police statement or the disciplinary process, what would you like? I can send you the statement, it is in the police statement as well. We started this disciplinary process after they were complaints from his co-workers and there were complaints from his managers.”
“There was a whole process to try and reconcile and get him to apologize and fix the relationship which he refused to do and insisted that we begin disciplinary process which we had an independent chairperson (Maletzky). It cost us a lot of money and th person was independent. Yea, he wants to pick a fight,” he said.
Maletzky owns Rainbow Legal Services, The Villager has been informed.
This was despite Wohler objecting to his involvement three times due to his outstanding legal issues at court for alleged corruption and defrauding.
“The hearing happened but then he was given information seven days before the hearing of the witness statement and all background on the matter which is not allowed by the Law because as the judge, he should not have prior knowledge of the case. That was the first violation. The preliminaries were also not accorded me. He just wants to harm the company”
“He was shouting at me and my representative throughout my hearing and he was always interjecting my representative and didn’t want her to finish, her name is Lelanie Hochobeb. Before I was found guilty, he used information that came after the hearing in his judgment of the matter,” says the journalist.
Wohler was found guilty on the 7th of December 2021 after which he appealed the decision.
He also says that he was consequently fired on the 3rd of January this year.
“After I appealed Zenobia Bruwer, One Africa TV’s Chief Financial Officer, confirmed that Rainbow Legal Services had been hired as the appeal chairperson under Set Gowaseb, who is a good friend and former employee of Maletzky. Through our investigations we have photos of them partying.”
“He also made a declaration with the police that he never participated in the hearing as appeal chairperson. But he is also alleged to be a distant relative of Sebastian Gowaseb who is the former head of production at One Africa TV. I just feel like how can he allow his own relative to be used in the case? I don’t know if he was aware that he was being used but it’s just sad,” says Wohler.
In the meantime, both parties are waiting for a date to be allocated for conciliation and the labour hearing while police investigations are under way.
Maletzky has denied allegations against him saying that he is incorruptible.
“It is the first time I hear of this but in any event all disciplinary hearings that I chair are above board and when it comes to the way I conduct disciplinary hearings I am incorruptible. There was no information provided to me in any questionable fashion or in an irregular modus operandi. In fact, before the hearing commenced, all the parties were in agreement with the issues placed before me as the chairperson, only after all parties agreed to proceed with the hearing we proceeded.
“So, as far as his right to approach the labour office is concerned, obviously by all means he is entitled to do that, and lay a complaint of unfair labour practices or whatever he wants to. But from my side what I can tell you is that I am incorruptible when it comes to the execution of my duties,” he said.
