Kuzeeko Tjitemisa
Windhoek
TransNamib board of directors has not yet found a suitable candidate to lead the transport parastatal, Minister of Public Enterprise Leon Jooste told New Era on Monday.
Jooste said the parastatal board believes local candidates were not given adequate consideration and has since requested the contracted consultant to follow due process.
He said there will therefore be a second round of interviews before recommendations are made to Works and Transport Minister Alpheus !Naruseb by the end of May.
TransNamib board chairperson Paul Smith yesterday said they would interview six more local candidates on May 15 for the position. He, however, declined to reveal the names of the local candidates, saying it was an internal matter.
Since October 2014 the parastatal has been operating without a CEO.
The CEO position became vacant following Sara Naanda-Katiti’s suspension in October 2014 after she was charged with breach of confidentiality, breach of trust and conflict of interest. The two parties eventually settled out of court in April 2016 after protracted negotiations.
Since her suspension, Hippy Tjivikua, the executive for strategy and stakeholder management, has been acting as CEO.
Regarding the appointment of a CEO in the vacant position at the Roads Contractor Company (RCC), Jooste said Cabinet would soon take a final decision on the matter. This will be done in May, as well, the minister confirmed.
Late last year Jooste instructed the boards of both TransNamib and Air Namibia to appoint CEOs by no later than June 2017. TransNamib has since been given until March next year, while Air Namibia was given until June to find a suitable candidate.
At Air Namibia, Advocate Ellaine Samson has been acting as managing director since last year. She took over from Rene Gsponer, who had acted in that position since the suspension of Theo Namases in June 2014.