Nored MD faces dismissal for criticising President

THE TOP executive of a parastatal faces dismissal over charges that he “insulted, belittled and defamed” the Head of State after he wrote a paper critical of President Sam Nujoma’s rule and Swapo’s race for the presidential nomination.

Martin Heita, Managing Director of Nored, was found guilty of “insulting the President” for castigating him for the way he campaigned to ensure that Lands Minister Hifikepunye Pohamba was chosen as Swapo’s candidate. The verdict was communicated yesterday to the lawyers for the Northern Electricity Distribution company (Nored) and Heita, following a disciplinary hearing conducted by Judge John Manyarara.Sources told The Namibian that Heita, who openly supported the axed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hidipo Hamutenya, in the campaign, was also found guilty of disobeying the company’s board of directors.For this he has been given a final written warning, though this may prove superfluous if he is fired for “defaming” the Head of State.People involved in the disciplinary case told The Namibian that Heita has admitted to writing the missive, but that it landed in “the wrong hands”.The letter was meant for the Hamutenya campaign team, but it was later reported to have been distributed widely to the extent that it reached the Swapo Extraordinary Congress in May.The letter would be considered as tough criticism if it came from outsiders, but as it was written by a long-serving Swapo member who was in exile, it was seen as something akin to blasphemy by some, such as Nored Chairman Erastus Uutoni who spearheaded the disciplinary action.In the letter, Heita accuses Nujoma of having “taken sides and intimidating people” in the campaign that involved Higher Education Minister Nahas Angula, Hamutenya and Pohamba.”The process would not be fair and square as it is too biased and the President is using government resources and state machinery to further his candidate’s position and give him an unfair advantage over others.”He called for the condemnation of Nujoma, adding “I see this as corruption in the hands of the out-going President and one would ask whether the President really wants to leave office with clean hands.”The Nored chief executive charged that Nujoma had become “desperate” and had began to hurl “slander and malice” saying the country will be sold out to “imperialists” in order to “stop Hidipo from becoming president”.”Time has come for Nujoma to go, and it is time that we are led by someone better than him …,” said Heita, pointing out that he was merely using his constitutional freedom of expression.In the letter, Heita reportedly alleged that Nujoma had confided in some people that he had chosen Pohamba because he wanted to continue ruling through the Lands Minister once he was elected.In what seem to be a parting shot, Heita writes:”Namibia is our country and we all have the right to rule this country, not only you as a person, but to most of us you have been a disappointment on many issues at international platforms.”A forensic investigation that the board conducted into Heita’s and Nored’s role in the three-horse race for presidential nomination retrieved the letter from the company’s computer.An initial charge that he used the parastatal’s resources to campaign for Hamutenya were dropped as the company acknowledged he was allowed to use the laptop, for instance, for private matters.It is believed Heita’s defence also dropped its challenge to the legitimacy of the directors, whose names until last month were not fully listed at the Registrar of Companies or with the Nored company secretary.From the start, Heita’s case was seen by many observers as a witch-hunt against Hamutenya’s supporters after Nujoma had let it be known he would not tolerate the discreetly ambitious Swapo leader.It is not clear whether similar disciplinary action will be taken against other executives of parastatals who criticised Nujoma, using terms such as “lame duck” during the campaign for presidential nomination.Neither lawyers for Heita, Louis du Pisani at Metcalfe Practitioners, nor Dirk Conradie for Nored, or Uutoni were prepared to comment.Uutoni said he had not received the outcome of the hearing.The verdict was communicated yesterday to the lawyers for the Northern Electricity Distribution company (Nored) and Heita, following a disciplinary hearing conducted by Judge John Manyarara.Sources told The Namibian that Heita, who openly supported the axed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hidipo Hamutenya, in the campaign, was also found guilty of disobeying the company’s board of directors.For this he has been given a final written warning, though this may prove superfluous if he is fired for “defaming” the Head of State.People involved in the disciplinary case told The Namibian that Heita has admitted to writing the missive, but that it landed in “the wrong hands”.The letter was meant for the Hamutenya campaign team, but it was later reported to have been distributed widely to the extent that it reached the Swapo Extraordinary Congress in May.The letter would be considered as tough criticism if it came from outsiders, but as it was written by a long-serving Swapo member who was in exile, it was seen as something akin to blasphemy by some, such as Nored Chairman Erastus Uutoni who spearheaded the disciplinary action.In the letter, Heita accuses Nujoma of having “taken sides and intimidating people” in the campaign that involved Higher Education Minister Nahas Angula, Hamutenya and Pohamba.”The process would not be fair and square as it is too biased and the President is using government resources and state machinery to further his candidate’s position and give him an unfair advantage over others.”He called for the condemnation of Nujoma, adding “I see this as corruption in the hands of the out-going President and one would ask whether the President really wants to leave office with clean hands.”The Nored chief executive charged that Nujoma had become “desperate” and had began to hurl “slander and malice” saying the country will be sold out to “imperialists” in order to “stop Hidipo from becoming president”.”Time has come for Nujoma to go, and it is time that we are led by someone better than him …,” said Heita, pointing out that he was merely using his constitutional freedom of expression.In the letter, Heita reportedly alleged that Nujoma had confided in some people that he had chosen Pohamba because he wanted to continue ruling through the Lands Minister once he was elected.In what seem to be a parting shot, Heita writes:”Namibia is our country and we all have the right to rule this country, not only you as a person, but to most of us you have been a disappointment on many issues at international platforms.”A forensic investigation that the board conducted into Heita’s and Nored’s role in the three-horse race for presidential nomination retrieved the letter from the company’s computer.An initial charge that he used the parastatal’s resources to campaign for Hamutenya were dropped as the company acknowledged he was allowed to use the laptop, for instance, for private matters.It is believed Heita’s defence also dropped its challenge to the legitimacy of the directors, whose names until last month were not fully listed at the Registrar of Companies or with the Nored company secretary.From the start, Heita’s case was seen by many observers as a witch-hunt against Hamutenya’s supporters after Nujoma had let it be known he would not tolerate the discreetly ambitious Swapo leader.It is not clear whether similar disciplinary action will be taken against other executives of parastatals who criticised Nujoma, using terms such as “lame duck” during the campaign for presidential nomination.Neither lawyers for Heita, Louis du Pisani at Metcalfe Practitioners, nor Dirk Conradie for Nored, or Uutoni were prepared to comment.Uutoni said he had not received the outcome of the hearing.