WINDHOEK – In line with President Hage Geingob call for 2019 as the year of accountability, government this week ordered the Ministry of Works and Transport to appoint a forensic audit committee to investigate the alleged mismanagement of a N$410 million loan by the parastatal.
Works and Transport Minister, John Mutorwa announced yesterday that Cabinet approved the establishment of a forensic
audit committee to be appointed by his ministry to investigate the alleged mismanagement of the N$410 million loan acquired some years back. Mutorwa, accompanied by Public Enterprises Minister Leon Jooste, also said Cabinet approvedthat his ministry in collaboration with TransNamib leadership compile a comprehensive valuation report of the 12 redundant locomotives that were purchased during the same time when the N$ 410 million loan was acquired by
the transport parastatal. Mutorwa said all this at the inauguration of the TransNamib new board members and the
launch of the transport parastatal Integrated Strategic Business Plan (ISBP) in the capital yesterday.
The minister did not indicate as to when the loan was taken, neither did he indicate when the locomotives were purchased.
However, New Era has it on good authority the said locomotives were purchased during former TransNamib CEO
John Shaetonhodi’s reign in 2014. The new-board announced by Mutorwa consists of Josephine Shikongo, Dr Michael Ochurub, Gaenor Michaels, Oscar Kaveru, Advocate Sigrid Tjijorokisa and Vincent Mberema and their term
runs for three years. On his part, Jooste warned the new board that time for personal fights, which have been holding up
the parastatal, must come to an end.
He said the focus should be shifted on transforming the fortunes of the cash-strapped state-owned enterprise through
the implementation of its five-year strategic plan. “In my own personal opinion, TransNamib is one of the top two
most important public enterprises in the country if not the most important. The other reality is that TransNamib is not where it should be at the moment,” he said.
Jooste added: “I have so much empathy for my president and some of his current frustrations. We are fighting each other as Namibians. We are not focusing on the job at hand and I can tell that is the downfall of most of our public
enterprises and it has to stop.” As the government, Jooste said they cannot step in to stop the said personality fights, but it is the board’s duty to see to it that its focus is on running the parastatal instead of these battles.
“You have a new board, new CEO and a new approved Integrated Strategic Business Plan. You have [support from government]. The ball is in your court. Only you can mess it up,” he said. – Additional Reporting: Nampa