Air Namibia announces new MD, denies Govt meddling

AIR NAMIBIA has appointed a new Managing Director amidst reports that the President and Ministry of Finance tried to force their chosen candidate on the airline.

The acting Chairman of Air Namibia, Leake Hangala, yesterday announced the appointment of Kosmos Egumbo, while denying that politicians had attempted to twist the directors’ arms into handpicking someone else. Egumbo was among eight candidates head-hunted after Government, which owns Air Namibia, rejected the first people the board of directors recommended following advertisements in the media.Authoritative sources told The Namibian that the directors were forced to include the head of the Namibia Tourism Board, Gideon Shilongo, in the second round of interviews after State House and the Ministry of Finance rejected the board’s choices, which included Augustinus Katiti, Chief Executive Officer of Walvis Bay, and Gernot Riedel, Air Namibia’s acting MD for three years.Hangala tried to brush aside reports of pressure from the Government, quoting The Namibian’s Gwen Lister commenting in the 1980s that Windhoek should change its name to ‘Rumourhoek’.He said the board had not chosen anyone other than Egumbo, and that Government, as the shareholder, had not “rejected” their decision.He said the search for a MD had been “comprehensive and consultative” in order to have legitimacy.Hangala claimed that the board “combined head-hunting and advertising” to select a chief executive.”The objective was to get the best Namibian we could get,” he said.Although the board eventually appointed Egumbo, whom many professionals describe as “respectable, smart and independent-minded”, the Ministry of Finance, allegedly acting on the authority of the Office of the President, had ordered that Shilongo switch roles from being a member of the selection panel to a potential MD of the airline.Shilongo yesterday confirmed he was a member of the interviewing panel and that he was later persuaded to become a candidate when Government objected to the first process.”I was not keen …but if there is a national call, that’s something else,” said Shilongo, adding that he had raised the concern that his inclusion among potential MDs might be viewed as unfair “The whole thing, I should say, was transparent,” he said, suggesting that he might be pleased he had not been chosen.Sources privy to the selection process said Egumbo performed even better than applicants in the first interviews did.”He had a clear mind on where he wanted to take the organisation… a strong person who speaks his mind,” said one.Riedel will remain as Egumbo’s technical advisor.But it remains to be seen whether the board of directors will support him when political pressure is brought to bear as is increasingly becoming the trend.A few months ago, Sanlam MD Vekuii Rukoro resigned as Air Namibia chairman because State House and the Minister of Finance Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila wanted to dictate how the daily administration, including how to sell a loss-making aircraft, of the airline should be managed.Interference in the running of parastatals has also been evident in the Roads Authority where the board was fired, and he Municipality of Windhoek and Agribank, where the councillors and directors were instructed who they should appoint as their chief administrator.* Kosmos Heinrich Egumbo is 38 years old.He has a BSc degree in Electrical Engineering with experience as a senior manager.Egumbo is presently based in Botswana as the German development agency’s (GTZ) International Expert and Programme Co-ordinator.Before that he was the Strategic Executive:Planning Urbanisation and Environment at the Windhoek Municipality.Egumbo is expected to start work on December 1.Egumbo was among eight candidates head-hunted after Government, which owns Air Namibia, rejected the first people the board of directors recommended following advertisements in the media.Authoritative sources told The Namibian that the directors were forced to include the head of the Namibia Tourism Board, Gideon Shilongo, in the second round of interviews after State House and the Ministry of Finance rejected the board’s choices, which included Augustinus Katiti, Chief Executive Officer of Walvis Bay, and Gernot Riedel, Air Namibia’s acting MD for three years.Hangala tried to brush aside reports of pressure from the Government, quoting The Namibian’s Gwen Lister commenting in the 1980s that Windhoek should change its name to ‘Rumourhoek’.He said the board had not chosen anyone other than Egumbo, and that Government, as the shareholder, had not “rejected” their decision.He said the search for a MD had been “comprehensive and consultative” in order to have legitimacy.Hangala claimed that the board “combined head-hunting and advertising” to select a chief executive.”The objective was to get the best Namibian we could get,” he said.Although the board eventually appointed Egumbo, whom many professionals describe as “respectable, smart and independent-minded”, the Ministry of Finance, allegedly acting on the authority of the Office of the President, had ordered that Shilongo switch roles from being a member of the selection panel to a potential MD of the airline.Shilongo yesterday confirmed he was a member of the interviewing panel and that he was later persuaded to become a candidate when Government objected to the first process.”I was not keen …but if there is a national call, that’s something else,” said Shilongo, adding that he had raised the concern that his inclusion among potential MDs might be viewed as unfair “The whole thing, I should say, was transparent,” he said, suggesting that he might be pleased he had not been chosen.Sources privy to the selection process said Egumbo performed even better than applicants in the first interviews did.”He had a clear mind on where he wanted to take the organisation… a strong person who speaks his mind,” said one.Riedel will remain as Egumbo’s technical advisor.But it remains to be seen whether the board of directors will support him when political pressure is brought to bear as is increasingly becoming the trend.A few months ago, Sanlam MD Vekuii Rukoro resigned as Air Namibia chairman because State House and the Minister of Finance Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila wanted to dictate how the daily administration, including how to sell a loss-making aircraft, of the airline should be managed.Interference in the running of parastatals has also been evident in the Roads Authority where the board was fired, and he Municipality of Windhoek and Agribank, where the councillors and directors were instructed who they should appoint as their chief administrator.* Kosmos Heinrich Egumbo is 38 years old.He has a BSc degree in Electrical Engineering with experience as a senior manager.Egumbo is presently based in Botswana as the German development agency’s (GTZ) International Expert and Programme Co-ordinator.Before that he was the Strategic Executive:Planning Urbanisation and Environment at the Windhoek Municipality.Egumbo is expected to start work on December 1.