MINISTER of public enterprises Leon Jooste has failed to explain why he appointed Swapo-connected individuals to the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor) board.
The national fishing company was linked to laundering money for the ruling party, including president Hage Geingob’s Swapo political campaign.
The Ministry of Public Enterprises compiled a list of candidates from a pool of names who applied for appointment on the Fishcor board, interviewed them and made recommendations on who should be appointed.
But out of the blue, Jooste announced a temporary board.
He is now facing allegations of bowing to Swapo by abandoning his process and appointing a list of people who did not apply for the board positions.
Jooste announced yesterday he appointed Social Security Commission chief executive officer Milka Mungunda, Namibia Competitions Commission chief executive officer Mihe Goamab II, lawyer Ruth Herunga and Penny Hiwilepo-Hal to the board for six months.
“A recruitment process was concluded up to Cabinet. He actually said publicly he was only waiting for Cabinet approval. Why not appoint those from a clear transparent process?” a source familiar with the matter said.
Mungunda is a board member of Kalahari Holdings, the holding company of the ruling party’s business empire estimated at over N$700 million.
She is also a former board member at the SME Bank where N$350 million was allegedly stolen.
Mungunda was not reachable for comment.
Jooste did not reveal why he picked several individuals and whether this exposes him for failing to keep his word on appointing transparent boards.
He said the process for temporary boards is entirely different and takes place in different circumstances – where an entire board has become vacant.
“The process to appoint substantive boards requires Cabinet approval and can be time-consuming,” he said.
“Due to immediate challenges in the company we need a board in place to stabilise the company and prevent further damage without delay,” he said.
According to him, “it would be more irresponsible to continue under the governance vacuum that existed, and I therefore appointed people with the required skills to handle the situation for the time being”.
Questions are, however, asked about why Jooste dropped a selection process for the new Fishcor board and added new faces.
“He was instructed,” a source familiar with the matter said.
Mungunda and Herunga both serve in party structures. Herunga is one of the 60 members of the Swapo Party think tank.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Herunga said she believes she was appointed on the board based on her 24 years legal experience, “ethical values and integrity as a person”.
“I don’t address rallies, neither am I involved in the day to day management of the organisation,” she told The Namibian.
Swapo spokesperson Hilma Nicanor declined to comment yesterday.
Fishcor is the epicentre of the ongoing Fishrot corruption scandal.
Illicit payments are said to have been made by the national fishing company to Swapo and its leaders.
This includes deputy transport minister Veikko Nekundi and Swapo youth league secretary Ephraim Nekongo.
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