Shivute will not retain NHE chairmanship - Jooste

PUBLIC enterprises minister Leon Jooste this week indicated current National Housing Enterprise (NHE) board chairman Sam Shivute will not retain his position at the helm of the State-owned enterprise.

“The term of the NHE board is about to expire and the current chair will not be considered for reappointment,” Jooste told New Era. Towards the end of 2020, Shivute was appointed as the first-ever commissioner of the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA).

Jooste was responding to a concern from a member of the public, who asserted that a Cabinet directive or principle prohibits SOE CEOs from serving on the boards of other SOEs. While confirmation of this policy was not received, the same rule was used on Johny Smith by Namibia Post and Telecom Holdings when he was appointed CEO of TransNamib.

Last week, amidst uproar from staff, Shivute informed NHE employees of the retention of beleaguered CEO Gisbertus Mukulu despite an apparent vote of no confidence from the institution’s management.

During a meeting with NHE staff in mid

April, Shivute clarified that approval for Mukulu’s reappointment was in fact already sought from the urban and rural development ministry at the beginning of March this year, and that ministerial approval was granted on 18 March.

However, some NHE staff and management alluded to serious governance deficiencies, with a request not to renew the CEO’s contract. Staff at last week’s meeting heckled Shivute when he asked them to applaud the NHE CEO’s reappointment.

“The renewal was then duly made after the relevant approval was made. It is important to note that this appointment approval process was finalised way before we received the letter of concern from middle managers dated 1st April 2021,” said Shivute at the time.

Subsequently, after the CEO’s reappointment was announced, NHE suspended four of its top management, who allegedly led the call for the CEO not to be reappointed for another five years.

The suspended managers are company secretary Ntelamo Ntelamo, spokesperson Eric Libongani, information technology manager Appollus Baisako and Beverly Vugs from finance.