THE Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, says she did not play a direct role in the selection of candidates and the final awarding of SADC scholarships.
This comes after a social media post circulating that Nandi-Ndaitwah has awarded the scholarship to a daughter of her alleged campaign manager.
According to the statement released on Monday by the executive director Penda Naanda, the SADC secretariat launched an annual scholarship contest for the academic year 2022/2023 for full-time taught masters, doctoral, post-doctoral studies, or research in social sciences.
“The Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation (MHETI) forwarded a letter to the SADC secretariat, submitting two names of selected applicants meeting the SADC annual scholarship requirements.
“The SADC secretariat selected Meameno Twafindana Nghinamwaami, and awarded her the scholarship amounting to US$20 000 to study for a master’s degree,” he said.
Naanda said the ministry encourages Namibians from all walks of life to apply for international scholarships whenever they are available.
“The ministry will not be discouraged by false narratives created by people who might have ulterior motives and will continue to play its part in ensuring that worthy and deserving Namibians are informed of available opportunities, be it scholarships or vacancies at international organisations,” he said.
