Staff Reporter

The board of the Namibia Industrial Development Agency (Nida), which was appointed by former industrialisation minister Tjekero Tweya in 2018, has been removed with immediate effect. 
Public Enterprises minister Leon Jooste named an interim board, which will be chaired by former Nedbank Namibia managing director Lionel Matthews. 
The new board will serve until substantive directors are appointed in line with relevant legislations. Businesswoman Twapewa Kadhikwa will serve as deputy chairperson, while other board members include Beata Muteka, Sikongo Haihambo, Esmerelda Katjaerua and Floris Fleermuys. Their term is effective 28 September until 28 March 2021. 
The outgoing board consisted of Frans Kwala as chairperson, Erna Motinga (deputy chairperson), Anita /Narib, Jacobus van Staden, Job Muniaro, Dr Diana van Schalkwyk and Uparura Kuvare. Kuvare has also been doubling as acting CEO and is expected to continue in that role.  
In a media statement issued yesterday, Jooste explained that Nida has been faced with several governance and operational challenges which brought the company into disrepute. 
Nida is classified as a commercial public enterprise in terms of the Public Enterprises Governance Act (PEGA). 
Accordingly, the industrialisation minister handed over Nida business operations to his public enterprises counterpart as the new shareholder, as provided for under the PEGA.  
After Nida’s transfer to the public enterprises ministry and in accordance with the ministry’s mandate, Jooste’s office undertook a compliance analysis of Nida documentation and operations to determine the company’s compliance status in line with both the PEGA and Nida Acts. 
According to Jooste’s statement, the results of the analysis regrettably pointed to serious non-compliance and flaws with relevant documentation pertaining to Nida either missing or non-existent.  
“To be fair to the board, I requested the Nida board, collectively and individually, to provide my office with relevant documentations and/ reasons as to why I should not request them to vacate their office as board members as stipulated in the relevant provisions of Chapter 3 and Section 13 (2) (a) and (b) of the Nida Act unless the contrary is proven. 
The Nida board responded but my office was not satisfied that the board fulfilled their fiduciary obligations. I have therefore, as the relevant minister of Nida in terms of PEGA, 2019 provisions and section 13 (2) (a) of Nida Act, 2016, removed the board members from the office of the board of Nida with immediate effect,” Jooste stated.