Let’s not wash dirty linen in public, urges NamPost Chairman

TANGENI AMUPADHI THE Chairman of NamPost, Sebby Kankondi, has appealed to the parastatal’s managers to make formal complaints that they may have against the acting CEO instead of approaching the media.

Kankondi was reacting to queries The Namibian sent to NamPost about claims that acting CEO, Johan Claasen, made a racist remark in connection with the search of a new top executive at a management meeting. Some managers told The Namibian that Claasen allegedly said he would not qualify to become the company’s substantive CEO because he had not been “too long under the sun”.Claasen reportedly also said he would not qualify for the job be because he had not “stayed too long in Namibia”.They said he made the remarks in a meeting with executive committee members and middle managers.None of the managers at the meeting was said to have objected.Kankondi said in an interview yesterday that he expected “the managers to lay a grievance to the board” if there was a genuine concern instead of taking the matter to the media.”We will do something about it if a case is reported through normal” channels, he said adding, “I will not tolerate racist remarks.”Claasen is yet to respond to the question e-mailed to him.Some managers told The Namibian that Claasen allegedly said he would not qualify to become the company’s substantive CEO because he had not been “too long under the sun”.Claasen reportedly also said he would not qualify for the job be because he had not “stayed too long in Namibia”.They said he made the remarks in a meeting with executive committee members and middle managers.None of the managers at the meeting was said to have objected.Kankondi said in an interview yesterday that he expected “the managers to lay a grievance to the board” if there was a genuine concern instead of taking the matter to the media.”We will do something about it if a case is reported through normal” channels, he said adding, “I will not tolerate racist remarks.”Claasen is yet to respond to the question e-mailed to him.