Christof Maletsky
7 July 2009
IT'S official. Titus Haimbili is back in his seat as Chief Executive Officer of TransNamib.
Works Minister Helmut Angula told a hastily arranged media briefing yesterday that Haimbili and the Board of the transport parastatal had agreed "to bury the hatchet" in the "national interest".
It means that Festus Lameck is now also "fully in charge" as Board chairperson after he had to recuse himself following the suspension of Haimbili 11 months ago.
Angula said the Board considered the interest of the national economy, sentiments by the nation as well as the executive (Cabinet) and therefore, decided to reinstate Haimbili and have the issue resolved amicably.
According to Angula, the TransNamib Board and Haimbili have given their commitment to "reconcile for the good of the country".
"I wish to appeal to the nation, through the media, to support this practical expression of reconciliation. I further call on the media to refuse divisionary tactics of anarchists who will not miss any opportunity to create suspicion between the parties," Angula said. Haimbili was suspended in August last year at the first meeting of the Board and charged with six counts of corruption.
A disciplinary hearing chaired by Clement Daniels earlier this year found him not guilty on five of those charges while the recommendation to the Board for the sixth charge was that he be dismissed.
He was found guilty of acting outside the scope of his authority and his employment contract when he implemented an interest-free study loan policy without submitting the policy to the board for approval.
However, the Swapo Party Politburo instructed Angula to ensure that Haimbili return to work and the decision was also endorsed by Cabinet. Yesterday Angula said he was not aware of such instruction but said the Board listened to the sentiments expressed by the executive - which is the Cabinet.
"The Board made the decision out of their own accord. There is no prohibition for Cabinet members to talk collectively or individually with the Board but the Cabinet can't tell the Board how to run the company," he said.
Angula admitted that millions were lost in the process which led to a national strike by the company's employees. "We have learnt several lessons. I have learnt to be calm. Have learnt to listen to one another and most importantly not to listen to outsiders who can exaggerate things," Angula said.
The Minister said he also learnt to address issues while they are still fresh.
Board chairperson Lameck confirmed the decision and said Haimbili will start where he left.
"I praise God for bringing the process up to where national interest ruled supreme," Haimbili said. Asked to respond on calls for his dismissal, Minister Angula said he "has never been in a political court" and felt that his career was not on the line.
He did not want to dwell on who was to blame for the whole saga. "Is it in the national interest to revive the confrontation. I say 'no'?" he said.
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