New board for NWR appointed

THE State-owned Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) company has a new board of directors with Jacqui Asheeke, Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of Tourism Associations in Namibia (Fenata), appointed as chairperson.

The board was inaugurated by the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who urged the board to increase NWR’s market share in the tourism sector both locally and abroad. ‘Competitors aggressively adapt and change to win market share and visitors look beyond the novelty of the physical changes like new camps and lodges. The spurt of new tourism development on the fringes of the Etosha National Park over the past two or three years is testimony to a strong competitive environment in which the NWR must operate,’ the Minister said. Since the near collapse of the parastatal in 2005, which had caused Government to directly intervene, the NWR had ‘experienced a roller-coaster ride of failures and success, ups and downs, changes in management and in the board,’ Nandi-Ndaitwah said. ‘Service and infrastructure deteriorated to such an extent that some tourism facilities [under the NWR] failed to meet minimum standards for registration at the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) and the NWR received ultimatums from the NTB to avoid closure of these resorts. NWR reached an all-time low in September 2005, when it had reached the limit of all its credit and overdraft facilities and was unable to pay salaries on time.’The Minister added that with the appointment of Dr Tobie Aupindi in April 2006 as new NWR Managing Director, who produced a business plan and a turnaround strategy a few months later, matters improved considerably. Several tourism facilities under the wing of the NWR were renovated and upgraded, while two new tourism camps were built, one at Sesriem and the Onkoshi Camp in the Etosha Park.Joint partnerships with the private sector were formed – including black economic empowerment companies – which eased the burden of investment on the NWR.These positive changes were brought about by management and the outgoing board of directors, which was not an easy task, the Minister said. ‘The new board will have to see that all these new developments that were accomplished, including branding and conquering niche markets, are maintained and that also goes for all the infrastructure,’ Nandi-Ndaitwah urged.She thanked outgoing chairman Klemens Awarab, during whose tenure an important legal requirement was accomplished, namely the auditing of financial reports. ‘The NWR is now fully compliant with the completion of audited financial reports, a matter that gave me sleepless nights,’ she admitted. The task of the new board would be to reduce the NWR dependency on shareholder subsidisation. Once all NWR facilities are rehabilitated and the company has a footprint in all popular tourism destinations, it will be able to pay back Government through dividends. The new chairperson, Jacqui Asheeke, said the new board would continue working closely with the Ministry. ‘We understand the high goals we want to reach. We are at the brink of an absolute tourism explosion and NWR is the Number One company,’ she said.The board held a meeting immediately after the inauguration ceremony. Other board members are Epson Jossop, MET Permanent Secretary Dr Kalumbi Shangula, Dr Nashilongo Shivute who is Under Secretary in the Lands Ministry, Festus Nghifenwa, Deputy Director of the Finance Ministry, Pierre du Preez, Chief Conservation Scientist in the Ministry and Rehabeam Erkie, who represents NWR employees. MD Aupindi is serving as an ex officio board member. During its time of crisis, the NWR received a Government bailout of N$180 million and it was regarded as being ‘technically insolvent’ by auditors three years ago, because it had liabilities totalling about N$65 million.In 2008 the NWR landed in hot water when it came to light that a butchery at Omuthiya, co-owned by Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, had won a contract to supply meat to NWR resorts in Etosha. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) however saw no conflict of interest in that.Last year the NWR was in the news again when it had to cough up an additional N$12 million for the refurbishment of the Ai-Ais resort in the Fish River. The original renovation contract was for N$21,5 million, but the project cost the NWR over N$33 million. The re-launch of Ai Ais was celebrated with a grand ceremony, but both President Hifikepunye Pohamba and former President Sam Nujoma declined the invitation and stayed away. Minister Nandi-Ndaitwah also did not attend. The NWR again made headlines a few months ago when it stopped internal audits, told its internal auditor that his job was redundant and opted for external audits twice a year.Another controversy erupted last year when a BEE company Tungeni Africa, which obtained a 50-year lease of the Von Bach Dam Resort, with the option of another 50 years, gave a 30 per cent shareholding to a company called Donor Investments, in which Aupindi is involved.Tungeni Africa planned a N$450 million development for Von Bach and coastal tourism sites like Jakkalsputz, Mile 72 and Mile 108, for which it secured 30-year leases.