Cabinet cuts Monica Geingos’ post-office benefits and staff allocations

The Cabinet has reduced the benefits of former first lady Monica Geingos, including the number of staff attached to her residence and the vehicles allocated to her, State House executive director Matheus Kaholongo confirmed yesterday.

The Namibian has been informed that Geingos, who served as Namibia’s first lady from 2015 until February 2024 following the death of her late husband, president Hage Geingob, currently has seven employees working at her residence. Some of them are cooks and laundry assistants.

A Cabinet decision now limits Geingos and other former first ladies whose husbands die before them to three household staff members and two state-sponsored vehicles, effective from 1 June this year.

When The Namibian approached Cabinet secretary Emilia Mkusa to find out the reasons behind the decision, she did not answer a call and text message sent to her mobile phone yesterday.

However, Kaholongo said the new changes do not affect former president Sam Nujoma’s spouse, Kovambo Nujoma. “Her benefits are not affected. They remain intact because she is the founding first lady,” he said.

“It is a Cabinet decision that reduces the benefits of the former first lady. Each former first lady is now entitled to three household staff members,” he said.

He said State House is merely implementing the Cabinet directive.

He added that the affected employees were hired directly by the former first lady and were not permanent government employees.

“These staff members are employed by the former first lady. They are at her behest. We have nothing to do with their employment because the former first lady employed these staff members herself.”

“When they were employed, we were not consulted. We just received the names. So what we do is communicate the Cabinet decision to the employer, who is the former first lady, and then the former first lady consults her staff,” he said.

He said Geingos had been informed in advance about the impending changes.

“I consulted her, I think, two times in February, that there is something coming and she must prepare and inform her staff accordingly,” Kaholongo said.

The executive director said other former first ladies are not affected by the decision as their spouses are still alive and continue to get presidential benefits.

“The staff members of the former first ladies are not employed by the former first ladies. They are employed by the former presidents. So, they are covered by their husbands because these staff members are still serving their husbands,” he said.

The Former Presidents’ Pension and Other Benefits Act of 2004 does not provide staff members or vehicles to a surviving spouse after the death of their spouses. These specific benefits are designated for the former president during their lifetime.

Kaholongo also confirmed that Geingos’ official vehicle allocation will be reduced from three to two.

However, he said she could continue to receive state security protection based on assessments by the Namibian Police inspector general.

“The inspector general will do a security assessment and determine the number of police officers that will be attached to her,” he said.

Asked why Cabinet had decided to reduce the benefits, Kaholongo said he was not privy to Cabinet deliberations.

“Cabinet is responsible for policymaking in the country, so I can’t talk on behalf of Cabinet to say why such a decision was taken,” he said.

One Economy head of strategic initiatives Kauko Haitembu told The Namibian yesterday that Geingos says: “Thank you for the questions. I am not in a position to comment at this time.”

Meanwhile, the affected staff members reportedly approached the Office of the Labour Commissioner late last year, alleging unfair dismissal and labour practices.

A source familiar with the matter says the workers were informed that their positions would be discontinued as part of the restructuring process.

The employees are now seeking intervention from the labour commissioner, arguing that the process followed amounts to unfair labour practice.

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