TransNamib labour case deferred, lawyers absent

By: * CHRISTOF MALETSKY

THE Labour Court this week postponed a case in which a former manager has taken the company to court for unfair dismissal.

Magistrate Uaatjo Uanivi, chairperson of the Labour Court,

postponed the case until March 16 after the lawyers for the

transport parastatal failed to turn up for the hearing.

Erenfried 'Tjivi' Ndjoonduezu was sacked in December 2004 for

alleged "poor time management and absenteeism".

 

He was the first of four former managers sacked or forced out of

the company over a two-month period.

 

Others were Godhardt !Howaeb, Bernhardt !Gaeb and Moses

Mbai.

 

!Gaeb and Mbai have also taken the company to court.

 

They were dismissed shortly after they threatened to take legal

action against the parastatal.

 

The former managers were assigned to a project to turn around

TransNamib's financial position.

 

However, once the project was completed, CEO John Shaetonhodi

and now suspended Human Resources General Manager Jason Hamunyela

refused to reinstate them in their former positions.

 

During the former managers' absence they were replaced,

allegedly by allies of Shaetonhodi and Hamunyela.

 

Shaetonhodi dismissed the allegations levelled against him and

Hamunyela.

 

However, the Board of TransNamib suspended Hamunyela in November

last year after being presented with the report of a five-month

probe into allegations of corruption, favouritism and nepotism by

the Ombudsman's Office.

 

Apart from alleged favouritism, Hamunyela was suspended because

of his private dealings with company property and time.

 

The Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Foibe Jacobs, said

last month that they had set in motion the disciplinary process

against Hamunyela but still needed to appoint a disciplinary

committee and set a date.

 

Sources said Hamunyela would appear before a disciplinary

hearing this month.

 

The Namibian has it on good authority that the Ombudsman's

report said that the right procedures were not followed in

appointing some staff members.

 

 

Erenfried 'Tjivi' Ndjoonduezu was sacked in December 2004 for

alleged "poor time management and absenteeism".He was the first of

four former managers sacked or forced out of the company over a

two-month period.Others were Godhardt !Howaeb, Bernhardt !Gaeb and

Moses Mbai.!Gaeb and Mbai have also taken the company to court.They

were dismissed shortly after they threatened to take legal action

against the parastatal.The former managers were assigned to a

project to turn around TransNamib's financial position.However,

once the project was completed, CEO John Shaetonhodi and now

suspended Human Resources General Manager Jason Hamunyela refused

to reinstate them in their former positions.During the former

managers' absence they were replaced, allegedly by allies of

Shaetonhodi and Hamunyela.Shaetonhodi dismissed the allegations

levelled against him and Hamunyela.However, the Board of TransNamib

suspended Hamunyela in November last year after being presented

with the report of a five-month probe into allegations of

corruption, favouritism and nepotism by the Ombudsman's

Office.Apart from alleged favouritism, Hamunyela was suspended

because of his private dealings with company property and time.The

Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Foibe Jacobs, said last

month that they had set in motion the disciplinary process against

Hamunyela but still needed to appoint a disciplinary committee and

set a date.Sources said Hamunyela would appear before a

disciplinary hearing this month.The Namibian has it on good

authority that the Ombudsman's report said that the right

procedures were not followed in appointing some staff

members.

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