Gendev board summoned to urgent Swapo meeting at State House

The Gendev Fishing Group board of directors have been summoned to an urgent meeting on Tuesday by Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa at State House.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is also expected to attend the meeting.

This is contained in a letter dated 7 May seen by The Namibian addressed to the company’s board chairperson, Pau Iilongo.

“This communique serves to invite you, comrade chairperson, your entire board of directors and finance executive to an urgent mandatory meeting on Tuesday,” the letter reads.

The meeting comes amid a series of labour disputes, financial difficulties and growing scrutiny surrounding the fishing company.

Gendev is linked to Swapo through its commercial arm, Guinas Investments.

Those invited to the meeting include directors Paulina Haindongo, Leonie Edwards, Robert Shimwooshili, Sandro de Goveia, Josef Andreas, George Pieters, Josef Katukula, Gideon Hamukwaya and Nico Kaiyamo, as well as finance executive Ruby Rees.

Earlier this year, The Namibian reported that Gendev employees had accused the com­pany of defraud­ing about 550 work­ers of N$17.3 mil­lion in salar­ies and pen­sion con­tri­bu­tions over nine months.

The work­ers wrote to Shan­ingwa request­ing urgent inter­ven­tion after medi­ation by the Min­istry of Justice and Labour Rela­tions had failed to resolve the dis­pute.

About 80 to 90 employ­ees of the company were allegedly sent home without pay, as well.

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