No Room for Gangsterism

THAT FINANCE minister Iipumbu Shiimi felt the need to call for state security protection for Namcor’s board chairperson suggests a deeply disturbing trend of gangster-style tactics taking hold in the running of state-owned entities.

Shiimi made the extraordinary request after the state oil company’s board chairperson, Jennifer Comalie, was arrested in a sting operation purportedly following an anonymous tip-off that she was allegedly carrying a sizeable amount of illicit drugs.

The finance minister’s appeal to the police chief has increased speculation that the drug charges were engineered to stop Comalie from taking action against Namcor MD Immanuel Mulunga and several managers because of alleged irregularities involving hundreds of millions of dollars.

Mulunga’s supporters have in turn accused Comalie of helping friends get favourable treatment at Namcor, such as businessman Mathew Hamutenya whose Swiss partners propose renting the multibillion-dollar fuel storage facility for a nominal US$10.

Comalie was reportedly poised to lead fellow directors a step closer to suspending Mulunga over the unauthorised payment of about N$100 million on behalf of a third party to an Angolan joint venture that includes a Dutch and Nigerian businessman. 

She also opposed the re-appointment of Namcor’s finance executive Jennifer Hamukwaya. 

In addition, she was pressuring Mulunga to take action against Namcor’s logistics executive, Cedric Willemse, who is accused of overseeing the unauthorised use of oil estimated at N$69 million.

Comalie was arrested on her way to a Namcor board meeting at which a number of these issues were expected to be discussed, fueling speculation about such a coincidence. 

Shiimi’s letter to the police stated that Comalie had previously alerted him and mines minister Tom Alweendo that she feared for her security.

“I kindly request the inspector general to consider conducting a security threat assessment and provide the necessary security support to Comalie should the threat be confirmed,” Shiimi said.

Comalie’s drug case aside, Shiimi’s request has raised concerns that the fight for control of Namibian entities and resources is going way beyond accepted boardroom conflicts.

Threats of violence over the governance of institutions is nothing short of out and out gangsterism. Rumours have long circulated that some people have gone to great lengths to tackle boardroom opponents using extrajudicial means.

In 2019, shortly after the Fishrot corruption affair was exposed, The Namibian was anonymously tipped off that whistleblower Jóhannes Stefánsson was allegedly mentally unstable and a drug addict. 

This was quickly followed by the unauthorised leaking of his medical records. Stefánsson later revealed that he had been poisoned. Yet another coincidence.

If not nipped in the bud, such tactics can only damage any lofty governance infrastructure that president Hage Geingob and other leaders preach are necessary for Namibia to succeed, leaving the state machinery to gangsters in suits roaming freely stealing public money at will.

Strong and decisive leadership is needed. Words need to be matched by action. 

We hope this week’s incident is a sober reminder of the urgent need to implement protections for whistleblowers and to strengthen anti-corruption institutions with adequate funding and competent expertise.

Our accumulated failure to act on corruption and pass needed laws erodes the very pillars of our democracy.

We cannot throw people to the wolves, or allow a culture of fear and silence to fester. We do so at our own peril.

We have to put a stop to our nation’s resources being held hostage by those who do not have its best interests at heart.

Failure to deal with threats against good governance promoters, such as directors, sends the wrong message to people of integrity who genuinely want to serve government entities.

There should be no room for gangsterism in Namibia.