While the government’s diamond seller, Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) has already appointed its general manager for sales and marketing, Lelly Usiku, as acting chief executive officer (CEO), the inaugural CEO, Kennedy Hamutenya, has taken his bid to stay on for another five years to the office of the labour commissioner. The Namdia board of directors appointed Usiku as of 2 July whilst they identify a new substantive CEO. 

“On 30 June 2022, Mr. Hamutenya referred a dispute to the labour commissioner against Namdia. As a result, all matters pertaining to the tenure of the CEO have become sub judice and we shall, for now, refrain from comments on this issue,” this was Namdia’s response to questions from New Era.  

Hamutenya served as Namdia’s first CEO from 1 July 2017 until 1 July 2022. Meanwhile, in an advertised statement last week in local newspapers, the Namdia board, management and staff members expressed their gratitude for Hamutenya’s service. The board stated that it was under Hamutenya’s stewardship that Namdia was established and has become a distinguished diamond trader.
“We are excited about the new phase the company enters as it expands its horizons in pursuing its mandate of price discovery on Namibian diamonds…we wish Mr Hamutenya well in all his future endeavours,” the statement read.

Namdia is entitled to 15% of diamond production from the government’s venture with global diamond giant De Beers, in its NamDeb and Debmarine ventures.

In its 2020/21 annual report, Namdia stated full year group profit after tax amounted to N$13.3 million, down 86.0% from the prior year’s N$95.2 million. “The company’s ordinary performance from sale of rough diamonds amounts to a profit after tax of N$44.2 million, as a result of the state of the diamond market in times of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the annual report stated. The report added that since inception, Namdia has spent over N$20 million on various charity and philanthropic programmes.