Govt steps in at Wildlife Resorts

THE Ministry of Environment and Tourism has stepped in to help the troubled Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), assigning five senior officials to interim positions at the company.

Deputy Permanent Secretary Ndeutapo William Amagulu will serve as interim Managing Director from October 1, while four other senior staff members have been assigned to assist him. “Nobody’s been replaced”, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Malan Lindeque, said yesterday.He said the arrangement was only meant to guide the company through the problems it was facing, until new managers could be recruited.”It’s a pretty well-known fact that the company is facing some financial constraints,” Lindeque said when asked about the nature of the problems.He said the company was looking for additional capital to upgrade the infrastructure at national resorts.According to a media statement issued by the Ministry last week, some financial institutions in the country have committed themselves to providing financial support to NWR, allowing it to establish a new resort at Sesriem in the Namib-Naukluft Park.Lindeque did not elaborate on which institutions these were, saying it was too soon to comment.The additional money, the Ministry said, would also be used to upgrade the Okaukuejo, Namutoni and Halali resorts in the Etosha National Park, and to train staff and buy equipment.Lindeque said the work should start within the next month.Last Monday, employees at NWR resorts countrywide staged a stay-away after the company failed to pay their salaries the previous Friday.After their salaries were paid in on Monday afternoon, employees were still unhappy about not receiving overtime payments due to them.NWR Public Relations Officer Pieter Mietzner said yesterday that this happened because workers had handed in their overtime claims late, and that this payment would be added to the next month’s salary.NWR employees also complained last week of a lack of communication between them and management, a lack of training and promotion opportunities, and a number of incidents of mismanagement at the company.The ministry has said that negotiations are under way to determine a lasting solution to the NWR’s problems.Asked about the possibility of contracting out NWR resorts to private companies, Lindeque replied in the negative.”That’s not under discussion at the moment,” he said.”Our main issue is just to improve operations at the company.”According to Gabes Andumba, General Secretary of the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu), workers were pleased by the Government’s decision to step in.Andumba attributed the company’s troubles to poor communication.”Just two or three managers know what’s happening,” he said, “and that’s where the problem is.””Nobody’s been replaced”, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Malan Lindeque, said yesterday.He said the arrangement was only meant to guide the company through the problems it was facing, until new managers could be recruited.”It’s a pretty well-known fact that the company is facing some financial constraints,” Lindeque said when asked about the nature of the problems.He said the company was looking for additional capital to upgrade the infrastructure at national resorts.According to a media statement issued by the Ministry last week, some financial institutions in the country have committed themselves to providing financial support to NWR, allowing it to establish a new resort at Sesriem in the Namib-Naukluft Park.Lindeque did not elaborate on which institutions these were, saying it was too soon to comment.The additional money, the Ministry said, would also be used to upgrade the Okaukuejo, Namutoni and Halali resorts in the Etosha National Park, and to train staff and buy equipment.Lindeque said the work should start within the next month.Last Monday, employees at NWR resorts countrywide staged a stay-away after the company failed to pay their salaries the previous Friday. After their salaries were paid in on Monday afternoon, employees were still unhappy about not receiving overtime payments due to them.NWR Public Relations Officer Pieter Mietzner said yesterday that this happened because workers had handed in their overtime claims late, and that this payment would be added to the next month’s salary.NWR employees also complained last week of a lack of communication between them and management, a lack of training and promotion opportunities, and a number of incidents of mismanagement at the company.The ministry has said that negotiations are under way to determine a lasting solution to the NWR’s problems. Asked about the possibility of contracting out NWR resorts to private companies, Lindeque replied in the negative.”That’s not under discussion at the moment,” he said.”Our main issue is just to improve operations at the company.”According to Gabes Andumba, General Secretary of the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu), workers were pleased by the Government’s decision to step in.Andumba attributed the company’s troubles to poor communication.”Just two or three managers know what’s happening,” he said, “and that’s where the problem is.”