Hertta-Maria Amutenja
Employees of Project Hope Namibia, Society for Family Health (SFH), TCE, and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that receive funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have been left in uncertainty following the implementation of a 90-day Stop Work Order issued.
Despite the immediate order to cease operations, workers at these NGOs are still required to report for duty without performing any tasks.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Project Hope employee claimed that a WhatsApp message informed workers of the directive.
“They only communicated with us through WhatsApp, saying we must adhere to the order that came from the president of the U.S.A. We must stop working for 90 days and return everything that belongs to the organisation,” the employee said.
Uncertainty remains over salary payments.
The Project Hope employee said workers were waiting to see if they would receive their usual salary on 25 February.
“We got paid in January because the order only came out to us on the 29th. We are now waiting for this month to see if we will get paid,” the employee said.
According to internal discussions among staff, there are concerns that some benefits, such as communication and transport allowances, may be cut, though no official confirmation has been given.
Another affected employee from TCE, also speaking anonymously, said they were simply told to go home after receiving their January salaries.
“Nothing else was said to us. We were not even given any letter,” the employee said.
The directive, issued by USAID on 27 January, instructs all implementing partners to halt work under their respective funding agreements.
Project Hope’s country director, Rosalia Indongo, said they don’t have any additional information on the issue but will release it when they do.
A memorandum issued by Indongo confirmed the cessation of work, stating that all staff must halt program-related activities immediately and remain available during working hours.
“No work-related meetings or field visits should be undertaken. Technical staff and regional heads of department must be available for weekly update meetings,” it read.
A similar directive seen by the Windhoek Observer was issued by SFH.
SFH management informed employees that operations would be suspended in compliance with the executive order.
The directive, issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on 27 January, instructs all implementing partners to halt work under their respective funding agreements.
The Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation stated that it had not received any official communication from USAID regarding the employment status of affected workers.
“Communication with diplomatic missions, UN agencies, and development partners is received via the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation to line ministries,” said Maria Shipunda, personal assistant to the executive director.
Shipunda added that the Labour Act outlines workers’ rights and protections in cases of termination and urged affected employees to refer to their employment contracts for specific conditions.
The U.S. government has, however, indicated that a waiver process may be available for essential programs.
Affected NGOs have been urged to submit requests for exemptions where necessary, particularly for life-saving interventions such as HIV treatment.
It is unclear how many organisations will be granted exemptions or how long the approval process will take.
Efforts to reach TCE and SFH for comments were unsuccessful by the time they went to print.
The Windhoek Observer sought to determine the impact of the directive on employees and future operations.
