Staff Reporter
Windhoek-The Namibian Manufacturers Association (NMA) hosted its fifth Manufacturer of the Year Awards gala dinner last week at the Safari Hotel and Conference Centre in Windhoek.
At the event Guan’s Packaging was announced as the overall winner in the Large Category, while Namibia Breweries walked away with the award in the Corporate Category.
The NMA board of directors noted that they were satisfied that the judging was executed in a transparent and fair manner.
At the event Calle Schlettwein, Minister of Finance, delivered an insightful address about the current status and future outlook of the economy.
Dr Thuli Madonsela, chief patron of the Thuli Madonsela Foundation and former public protector of South Africa, honoured the guests with powerful remarks on corruption.
In her speech, Madonsela said: “Corruption and unethical behavior should not be allowed to sabotage Namibia’s Vision 2030 or other National Development Plans.”
She alluded to the fact that the best way to restrict corruption is through “epic leadership”, which she defined as being ethical, purpose-driven and committed to service.
She added: “Corruption creates an uneven playing field and affects every business person and every human being in a country.”
“An increased number of entries demonstrated that the NMA members realize the value of this competition. Encouraging was that we saw a few first-time entries. This is a clear indication that the NMA members support this initiative,” noted Ronnie Varkevisser, CEO of the NMA.