Their employment contracts were all terminated at a month's notice in July and August.

They allege that although appointed in their respective posts in temporary positions for up to two years, they were all led to believe that they would be considered for the post once a permanent appointment was made.

Instead, they claim, unqualified relatives and friends of senior Air Namibia staff were appointed to these posts.

At the centre of the storm is Air Namibia's General Manager for Human Resources, Theopoltina Namases.

Insiders claim she regularly bypasses standard selection procedures to offer her preferred candidates posts within the company.

When approached by The Namibian yesterday, Namases declined to comment on the host of allegations against her.

She claimed it was to be expected that, as the officer responsible for recruitment and selection, her name would be attached to the allegations.

In response to queries from The Namibian, Air Namibia's Corporate Communications Manager, Ellison Hijarunguru, confirmed that a lawyer representing the three had "inquired" about claims of nepotism and unfair selection procedures.

"I am also informing you that an internal investigation is being done to establish the status and the substance of these claims, and we are also in the process of formulating a response to the said lawyer," said Hijarunguru.

The airline said once it had the facts at its disposal, it would inform this newspaper.

The claims add Air Namibia to a list of parastatals rocked by allegations of nepotism and corruption in recent years.

In May, the Office of the Ombudsman started investigating similar claims at TransNamib, particularly against its CEO and Human Resources Manager.

The matter also reached the Labour Court.

One of the complainants in the Air Namibia case, who was employed as a cargo clerk since November 2003, claimed he was sidelined in favour of a relative of Namases for another post within that division, for which he was shortlisted.

Sources indicate that the chosen person has subsequently been dismissed for alleged dishonesty.

Another of the complainants, employed in the Cargo Division for just over a year before being dismissed, alleges that a preferred candidate was approached to apply for his post before it was even advertised.

The post of a senior clerk in the Cargo Division, advertised a few months ago, was awarded to Hijarunguru's daughter although she allegedly did not have the required qualifications for the job.

The son of Air Namibia's Manager for Human Resources Elize Petersen is also alleged to have been appointed as a check-in clerk at the Hosea Kutako International Airport, without the required qualifications.

The third of the complainants was previously based at Air Namibia's Swakopmund office for nearly two years on a contract basis before her employment was terminated in August.

Although she was interviewed for a permanent post and scored the highest on the interviewing panel, she was not offered the job.

Again, Namases is accused of canvassing another candidate stationed in another division within the company to take up the post.

This candidate, too, is alleged to lack the required qualifications for the job in question.

A source has also claimed to The Namibian that Namases scrapped the usual extensive interviewing panel to select new cabin crew for the airline recently, and handled the screening process herself.

Usually the airline sets up a panel including existing cabin staff to assess the candidates and they are required to go through a set interview.

In June, 16 crew members were selected single-handedly by Namases without a set interview nor a score sheet indicating their performance.

"She is turning that whole Air Namibia upside down," alleged a source.

"There is victimisation and racism, out and out".

A later intake of another 30 crew members were selected by a panel consisting of only Namases and another staff member in the cabin administration division.

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