NPTH advertises board positions

IN a rare move, Namibia Post and Telecom Holdings Limited (NPTH) – the parent company of Telecom Namibia, MTC and Nampost – has advertised positions on its board of directors in local newspapers.

This could be seen as a trendsetting move, especially for parastatals, in a country where directors are usually nominated behind closed doors and many sit on a number of boards – a move which has been under fire recently from many quarters. The advertised posts are two vacancies on the NPTH board, four for Telecom and one for Nampost.The advertisements, which ran this week, called on all those interested to notify the company by yesterday afternoon.Previously, people were appointed to the boards through nominations made by the Minister of Works, Transport and Communication.Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, NPTH Acting Company Secretary Stanley Shanapinda said this was an initiative taken by the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication to bring more transparency to the whole system.”This is a new way of thinking and doing things.We are doing it for transparency, and also giving an opportunity for all with the necessary skills to take part,” he said.He added that the response to the adverts had been “quite positive”.Shanapinda said the selection and nomination process could take up to two months, as selection meetings with shareholders were to follow before appointments were made.In the past Meatco and the Electoral Commission of Namibia have followed a similar process.The advertised posts are two vacancies on the NPTH board, four for Telecom and one for Nampost.The advertisements, which ran this week, called on all those interested to notify the company by yesterday afternoon.Previously, people were appointed to the boards through nominations made by the Minister of Works, Transport and Communication.Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, NPTH Acting Company Secretary Stanley Shanapinda said this was an initiative taken by the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication to bring more transparency to the whole system.”This is a new way of thinking and doing things.We are doing it for transparency, and also giving an opportunity for all with the necessary skills to take part,” he said.He added that the response to the adverts had been “quite positive”.Shanapinda said the selection and nomination process could take up to two months, as selection meetings with shareholders were to follow before appointments were made.In the past Meatco and the Electoral Commission of Namibia have followed a similar process.