Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Namibia Premier League (NPL) Chairperson, Patrick Kauta, says the country’s flagship football league is close to filling the vacant chief executive officer (CEO) position.
Speaking at the NPL weekly media engagement at the Sam Nujoma Stadium yesterday, Kauta said Erwin Ndjavera from the Ministry of Youth, Sport and National Service has been recommended to the NPL executive committee as the ideal candidate for the plum position.
“His appointment is subject to negotiations with the portfolio ministry as he is currently employed there,” Kauta said before expressing the hope that Ndjavera will resume duty no later than May 1. Ndjavera is likely to be seconded to the league for three years.
However, contrary to previous reports, Kauta is adamant only one candidate was recommended to the NPL executive by the panel and not six. He further notes that negotiations with the ministry include the issue of payment for the CEO.
“We want to have the CEO term running concurrently with that of the league as we do not want to burden the future board with our appointee when our term ends,” Kauta explains.
The legal guru says they will make plans based on their budget if they do not reach an agreement with the ministry for the immediate transfer of Ndjavera, a top secretariat official.
The NPL has been operating without a CEO since Mathew Haikali was ushered through the exit door in 2011 after he was found guilty of having unlawfully hiked his own salary and that of his subordinates.
Haikali’s firing meant the league’s chairperson had to take over the duties of the CEO, especially various crucial administrative and policy decisions, a situation, which has not been quite healthy for the league.
Long serving NPL administrator, Tovey Hoebeb, has also been assisting with some of the CEO duties. – Nampa