MVA’s jogging new CEO

Chamwe Kaira

“Jogging is one of my hobbies, I prefer doing that rather than exercising in the gym,” says the married mother of two, who grew up in Rundu. Certainly Martins-Hausiku needs to stay in tip top condition given the demanding job of leading the MVA, which has encountered a number of well publicised financial problems of late.

But how much money would be enough for the MVA? She says a levy of 47,3 cents per litre will be ideal for the MVA to sustain its operations. The current levy allocated to the MVA from the fuel price is 39,7 cents for petrol and 43,7 cents for diesel.

“But this would put a lot of pressure on the government and consumers,” she said in her office in Windhoek. The Fund’s current deficit is N$398 million, a significant drop from N$540 million in 2004.

Cabinet endorsed Martins-Hausiku’s appointment as CEO last month to replace the long serving Jerry Mwadinohamba.

“These days the books I get as gifts are on leadership,” says Martins-Hausiku who describes Mwadinohamba as a ‘visionary leader.’

She holds a masters degree in business leadership from Unisa, a Masters of Arts degree in Culture, Communication and Media Studies from the University of Kwazulu Natal, a Bachelor of Media Studies from the University of Namibia and a Certificate in Finance and Accounting from Wits Business School.

Aside from leadership books, she reads spiritual and motivational books like the Power of a Praying Mother, the Power of a Praying Wife and books by well-known motivational speaker Myles Munroe. Some of the books, I saw on her desk were The Capitalist Nigger and the Seven Habits of Highly Successful People.

Martins-Hausiku says the Fund has changed its unlimited pay out policy after a court ruling in 2004 said a group of Belgian tourists be paid N$250 million following an accident near Walvis Bay involving the then world boxing champion Harry Simon.

The Fund will pay the Belgians over 25 year period, she says. This obligation has been a major financial drain for the fund.

Martins-Hausiku says the MVA plans to establish a Trauma Centre at the Windhoek Central Hospital to rehabilitate accident victims. She says an expression of interest for the centre, which will be a Public-Private Partnership, will soon be put out. She says the MVA has already visited similar centres in South Africa and Lesotho to see how they are run. The plan is part of efforts to cut costs.

She says 64% of the N$40 million MVA receives from the state is spent on medical expenses. The MVA pays private hospitals and doctors about N$30 million to treat accident victims. She says the financial situation had improved with its assets now standing at N$344 million from N$137 million three years ago.

She says the financial situation is far better than it was a few years ago when its income was N$24 million and expenses amounted to N$21 million and was only left with N$3 million for salaries.

Martins-Hausiku says the MVA plans to increase its revenue through levies on cross-border foreign vehicles.

She says the biggest problem at state hospitals is lack of skills and specialist doctors to treat accident victims of injuries sustained, which are mainly head and spinal cord injuries. The MVA also operates a programme called Step Down for accidents victims at the Paramount Health Centre.

Martins-Hausiku says medical costs will further be cut when spinal cord rehabilitation centre is opened at the Windhoek Central Hospital. A group of doctors to run the centre which opens in October have already undergone training in Sweden, she said.

Aside from the busy schedule, Martins-Hausiku likes listening to music, an attribute she says she got from her father. “My father has a good taste of music,” she says.

She says she lives by the slogan, ‘On the shoulders of a giant, I am able to see far.’ She mentions Mwadinohamba and National Planning Commission Permanent Secretary Leevi Hungamo, also a native of Rundu, as her role models and ‘giants’ in life. Hungamo is married to Martins-Hausiku’s sister.