Nakale back on the job at RA

THE Roads Authority (RA) has confirmed the reinstatement of one of its senior managers, Rosa Nakale, who was axed in 2004 following a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the company’s affairs.

RA spokesperson Audrin Mathe said yesterday that Nakale resumed work after the District Labour Court instructed the company to reinstate her in her previous position. Nakale was General Manager: Administration and Corporate Affairs when the previous Board dismissed her on December 14 2004.Mathe said there had been some realignments at the company in December last year, which changed Nakale’s position to Divisional Manager: Corporate Affairs.However, it was still the same level and job, he said.She returned to work on June 1 and was paid N$503 261 – the combined total of her salary for the months she would have worked had she not been dismissed.Nakale featured prominently during the Presidential Commission of Inquiry and was sacked a week after the Board, under the chairmanship of lawyer Sisa Namandje, got rid of RA CEO Justin Runji, Lawrence Kiggundu, Divisional Engineer: Network Planning and Consultation, and Peter Thiemann, the Divisional Engineer for Construction and Rehabilitation.The RA had in the meantime filled the positions of the three officials, but Nakale’s post remained vacant for the entire time that she was fighting the company in the labour courts.Among others, the Presidential Inquiry heard how Kiggundu’s two daughters obtained bursaries from Windhoek Consulting Engineers (WCE), which won the biggest RA roadwork tender.Both he and the WCE denied suggestions of bribery.No clear allegations of wrongdoing could be pinned to Runji and Thiemann.Namandje has previously denied that the board’s decision was politically motivated.Nakale was reportedly not given any reasons for her dismissal and was given payment instead of a notice period.The District Labour Court argued that the company wrongly invoked a clause – which stated that RA was not required to give reasons for dismissing her – to fire Nakale.This was unfair, the court found.Nakale was General Manager: Administration and Corporate Affairs when the previous Board dismissed her on December 14 2004.Mathe said there had been some realignments at the company in December last year, which changed Nakale’s position to Divisional Manager: Corporate Affairs.However, it was still the same level and job, he said.She returned to work on June 1 and was paid N$503 261 – the combined total of her salary for the months she would have worked had she not been dismissed.Nakale featured prominently during the Presidential Commission of Inquiry and was sacked a week after the Board, under the chairmanship of lawyer Sisa Namandje, got rid of RA CEO Justin Runji, Lawrence Kiggundu, Divisional Engineer: Network Planning and Consultation, and Peter Thiemann, the Divisional Engineer for Construction and Rehabilitation.The RA had in the meantime filled the positions of the three officials, but Nakale’s post remained vacant for the entire time that she was fighting the company in the labour courts.Among others, the Presidential Inquiry heard how Kiggundu’s two daughters obtained bursaries from Windhoek Consulting Engineers (WCE), which won the biggest RA roadwork tender.Both he and the WCE denied suggestions of bribery.No clear allegations of wrongdoing could be pinned to Runji and Thiemann.Namandje has previously denied that the board’s decision was politically motivated.Nakale was reportedly not given any reasons for her dismissal and was given payment instead of a notice period.The District Labour Court argued that the company wrongly invoked a clause – which stated that RA was not required to give reasons for dismissing her – to fire Nakale.This was unfair, the court found.