Roads contractor acting boss under investigation

ROADS Contractor Company acting chief executive officer Pieter Oosthuizen is being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Commission and home affairs ministry regarding his work permit and qualifications.

The ACC has given Oosthuizen, who is also the TransNamib board chairperson, 48 hours to produce his qualifications and work permit.

Officials from the ACC paid Oosthuizen a visit on Monday at his office where he was asked to produce the documents and was given a deadline to comply by today, after failing to produce them on the spot.

Hilda Basson-Namundjebo, the RCC spokesperson and ACC director Paulus Noa, confirmed the investigations yesterday.

“We are looking into these allegations concerning Oosthuizen and we want to understand why the employment permit and his qualifications are questionable,” Noa said.

Noa said there is an allegation that Oosthuizen’s qualifications either do not exist, according to the university he claims to have gotten them from, or the university itself does not offer such qualifications.

“My question is why has there been no action from the works ministry that deals with these companies or the SOEGC (State Owned Enterprises Governance Council) or even immigration officers in regards to this mess at TransNamib?” asked Noa.

Noa said the lack of interest from the said ministries and institutions prompted the ACC to institute the investigation.

The investigation also involves Johan Piek, the TransNamib turnaround consultant. Piek was picked up on Monday by immigration officials and his passport was confiscated on allegations that he violated immigration regulations. Noa further said the TransNamib board of directors and Piek will also be investigated.

Basson-Namundjebo said Oosthuizen was “complying and cooperating with the authorities as they carry out the investigation”.

She, however, declined to say why Oosthuizen failed to produce the required documents immediately. Piek declined to comment yesterday.

The Namibian understands that Piek’s work permit authorises his employment at another company in Namibia, not at TransNamib.

Similarly, Oosthuizen’s work permit allegedly only applies to his job as the general manager of RCC.

SOEGC secretariat’s head Frans Tsheehama said the parastatal oversight body is also looking into activities at both TransNamib and RCC.

“We cannot give much detail in this regard but we will pronounce ourselves once we are certain of these allegations,” said Tsheehama.

Deputy director of immigration Nehemiah Nghishekwa said he could not confirm nor deny his ministry’s involvement, because he has not yet received a report on whether there has been any arrests.

The probe on Oosthuizen by the ACC comes hot on the heels of a failed 150-day turnaround strategy aimed at reviving the collapsing parastatal.

The strategy was largely focused on cutting costs, repairing the plant, improving revenues and ridding itself of excess workers but has fallen flat.

Restructuring and redundancy were two main components of the strategy with the company’s financial management system.

Basson-Namundjebo said that only the financial component of the strategy has been implemented.

Oosthuizen admitted to his staff this week in an internal communication that the turnaround strategy has not been fully implemented.

“Unfortunately the election and change in administration took priority and Cabinet is yet to pronounce itself on the issue,” he said in an internal memo seen by The Namibian.

Basson-Namundjebo also said the parastatal management was supposed to make a presentation on its turnaround strategy to Cabinet, last Tuesday.

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