Haimbili’s fate in balance

SUSPENDED TransNamib Chief Executive Officer Titus Haimbili could find himself jobless if the transport parastatal’s board approves a recommendation that he be dismissed.

The chairperson of the disciplinary hearing on allegations that Haimbili misused his powers, Clement Daniels, has recommended that the board dismiss Haimbili after he was found guilty of acting outside the scope of his authority and his employment contract when he implemented an interest-free study loan policy without submitting the policy to the board for approval.Earlier, Daniels found Haimbili not guilty on five other charges of fraud, corruption and nepotism.Haimbili’s lawyer, Marinus Nederlof, confirmed to The Namibian that Daniels had forwarded the recommendation to the board and that his client was now awaiting formal communication from them.According to sources, Daniels made the recommendation because of a ‘breakdown in trust’ between Haimbili and the board.
Nederlof said they would appeal if the board approved the recommendation to dismiss Haimbili.The company accused Haimbili of not seeking approval from the board for a study loan of 4 240 British pounds (around N$65 000).It is believed that Haimbili took the loan at a time when the company had no board.He is claimed to have consulted at least two general managers on the issue. However, others argued that there should have been approval from a higher authority, as the general managers were his subordinates.Haimbili was put on two months’ ‘special leave’ in August before six charges were put to him in October. He has since been on paid leave.One of the main charges was that he ‘irregularly and improperly’ appointed Albertus !Naruseb as General Manager of Human Resources, whom some claimed had leapfrogged other interviewees for the job.The allegation was that Haimbili appointed him because he was his brother-in-law. Haimbili denied the allegation and Daniels found him not guilty on that the charge.He was also accused of contravening the company’s credit card policy, by failing to ‘appropriately explain some of the expenses incurred’ by him between February and July last year and for allegedly ordering the increase or change of the credit card limits for all staff, including himself, without the board’s approval.On another charge – one of fraud – it was alleged that between April and May last year he allegedly invoiced the company N$19 682 for a flight for himself and his wife to Botswana ‘under the assumption that the travel was for official purposes’.At the time it was reported that Haimbili had his wife’s flight costs deducted from his salary.The Board also claimed that Haimbili had ordered an increase on his cellphone airtime limit contrary to TransNamib policies. The last charge was that he had allegedly abused his position ‘to secure a favourable rental agreement’ for a TransNamib house he was occupying while his own house was being renovated.Daniels dismissed all those claims.The company charged Haimbili after an investigation was conducted by Ernst & Young at a cost of around N$200 000 and the board found it sufficient to take further steps.Haimbili’s suspension last year led to a national strike by TransNamib workers and financial losses ran into millions.Shortly after the six-day illegal strike Transport Minister Helmut Angula told the National Assembly that the stayaway had cost the transport parastatal N$52,9 million. He said the loss for the Namibian economy was estimated at N$180 million.In October, Cabinet was forced to provide a bailout of N$14,2 million to TransNamib as the company was unable to pay workers’ salaries.TransNamib had asked for a bailout of N$52 million but only N$14,2 million was advanced from the Government’s contingency fund. christof@namibian.com.na