By Confidente Reporter
OFFICIAL opposition leader, McHenry Venaani of the DTA party is not happy with his N$70 000 monthly gross salary which is the same amount that is being paid to all leaders of opposition parties in Parliament.
After deductions Venaani will be left with around N$50 000.
Venaani, Tuesday said although he wasn’t elected to go to Parliament to enrich himself he feels that he is being punished by the system since the norm in the past was that the leader of the official opposition earns a salary that was at least N$4 000 higher than the rest of other opposition leaders in Parliament.
“It so happens that in the history of Namibia, I am a recipient of a salary that is the same as every other opposition leader in Parliament which has never happened before. I do not know why I am being punished like this. It’s an anomaly I think is not right. It has never happened before and I can’t blame anyone for it but it’s very funny the way I am being punished,” he said. He added that it would be ideal to have parliament legislation that deals with the remuneration and benefits entitled to the leader of an official opposition party instead of the current situation where the official opposition leader’s salary and benefits fall under the mercy of the country’s President.
“If you do your desk research well you will find out that in countries like India a leader of the official opposition is entitled to accommodation, transport and VIP security but that does not happen here. I didn’t come here to look for benefits but I feel the current situation is an anomaly that needs to be rectified. Currently I have to pay for my own security details but that is not the same conditions.
“In other countries the leader of the official opposition is at the same rank as that of a Minister. However I am only accorded that status outside the country but denied the same status in my own country,” Venaani said.
He added that the Public Office Bearers Commission was currently handling the matter.
“I am too big to cry about it, if the POBC has made recommendations and (President Hage) Geingob refuses to endorse them what else can I do?” Venaani asked.