SONJA SMITHA NAMCOR restructuring exercise has already cost the parastatal N$1,2 million in consultation fees, while no one has been at liberty to say how much a South African company that did the real job was paid.
Namcor hand-picked Human Insights, a South African company, to conduct a functional review of its operations in October 2017, and a Namibian company Easy-HR owned by Charmaine David.
André Pandy founded Human Insights that has offices in India, London and the Middle East. He also serves as the managing director.
The companies worked on Namcor’s restructuring exercise aimed to enhance the parastatal’s ability to generate profits and create value through a five-year strategic plan.
Leaked documents show that the work included doing a review and alignment of strategy and structure from 1 to18 March 2019. The company was also asked to conduct job descriptions from 14 to 27 March 2019, as well as consolidation on 28-29 March 2019.
Impeccable sources say that Easy-HR was paid N$1,2 million for unspecified additional work.
Davids refused to answer specific questions last week, apart from saying: “Let Namcor tell you all the information. I will not comment at all.”
In a telephonic interview with The Namibian last week, Pandy said his company completed the job at the end of March this year.
“But, of course, we have not been paid yet. The agreement was that the payment would come through 30 days after the job has been completed,” he added.
When asked whether Namcor had paid his company N$1,2 million, Pandy said: “Who told you that the job we did is for N$1, 2 million? That amount is way less than what we billed Namcor. But my company is no longer attached to Namcor. As for Davids, we worked on the project since we do not have a physical office in Namibia yet.”
Namcor’s managing director, Immanuel Mulunga, refused to disclose the exact amounts the parastatal paid to Davids and Pandy.
Namcor’s board chairperson, Engelhardt Kongoro, said he doesn’t have all information. He referred comments on the matter to Mulunga.
Late last week, Namcor’s executive of human capital and strategic development, Maryke Kröhne, said they paid Human Insights last week.
Kröhne could not, however, say how much they paid, citing confidentiality.
“I shall unfortunately not disclose how much it is as I am not allowed to talk to the media,” Kröhne said, before referring queries to Namcor’s public relations officer, Utaara Hoveka.
Hoveka said the matter is between Namcor and their suppliers.
“I acknowledge receipt of your query, but am, however, not at liberty to give the information requested. We regarded it as internal and between our suppliers and us or service providers. I consulted with management, and that’s what is agreed on,” Hoveka stated.
Although Namcor carried out the restructuring, Napwu general secretary Petrus Nevonga spoke out against it.
Namcor and Napwu signed a joint recognition and procedural agreement on 3 August 2007 to recognise the union as the workers’ bargaining agent. Napwu represents workers within the grades A-D.
It was because of this agreement that Mulunga wrote to Nevonga on 10 April 2019, informing him about the restructuring exercise.
According to Mulunga, the exercise was a collective effort between Namcor’s board, management and workers. He added that the exercise would make Namcor relevant and sustainable.
On 11 April 2019, Nevonga wrote back to Kongoro, telling him that Mulunga was distorting facts by claiming that the restructuring was a collective exercise.
“Napwu would like to bring to the attention of your esteemed office to halt this process in its entirety to seek proper consultation in a professional, amicable and mature manner,” Nevonga wrote.
The unionist said there might be consequences if management pushed through the restructuring process.
Nevonga told Kongoro that the final consultation meeting over the appointment of Human Insights did not agree on anything principal.
“Napwu is reliably informed that a consultant was appointed by Namcor to facilitate the process of restructuring,” he said.
In his letter to Nevonga dated 23 April 2019, Mulunga threatened to cancel the agreement, accusing Napwu of breaching it.
Napwu deputy secretary general Gabes Andumba told The Namibian yesterday that Namcor and the union agreed during a meeting held on 8 May this year that the restructuring should not lead to job losses.
Andumba added that in the event of any vacancies arising from the restructuring exercise, the current employees should be considered first.
