Swapo to Haimbili’s rescue

THE Swapo Politburo has instructed Transport Minister Helmut Angula to ensure that suspended TransNamib Chief Executive Officer Titus Haimbili returns to work, authoritative sources indicated to The Namibian yesterday.

The same sources said Haimbili’s suspension and subsequent disciplinary hearing, as well as the recommendation by disciplinary committee chairperson Clement Daniels that he be dismissed, were discussed on Monday.’The Minister was given an instruction to reinstate Haimbili. Obviously he must approach the Board to do that after Cabinet has endorsed the decision,’ one source said.Approached for comment, Cabinet Secretary Frans Kapofi said the issue was not on yesterday’s Cabinet agenda.Last week, Daniels recommended that the Trans-Namib board dismiss Haimbili after he was found guilty of acting outside the scope of his authority and his employment contract when he granted himself an interest-free study loan without submitting it to the board for approval. He was found not guilty on five other charges of fraud, corruption and nepotism.According to some sources, Daniels made the recommendation because of a ‘breakdown in trust’ between Haimbili and the board.Haimbili’s lawyers were ready to appeal if the board approved the recommendation to dismiss him.He was accused of not seeking approval from the board for a study loan of 4 240 British pounds (around N$65 000).It is believed that Haimbili might have taken the loan at a time when the company had no board.He is claimed to have consulted at least two general managers on the issue. However, others argued that there should have been approval from a higher authority, as the general managers were his subordinates.Haimbili was put on two months’ ‘special leave’ in August before six charges were put to him in October. He has since been on paid leave.One of the main charges was that he ‘irregularly and improperly’ appointed Albertus !Naruseb as General Manager of Human Resources, whom some claimed had leapfrogged other interviewees for the job.The allegation was that Haimbili appointed him because he was his brother-in-law.Haimbili denied the allegation and Daniels found him not guilty on that charge.He was also accused of contravening the company’s credit card policy, by failing to ‘appropriately explain’ some of the expenses incurred by him between February and July last year, and for allegedly ordering an increase of the credit card limits for all staff, including himself, without the board’s approval.On another charge – one of fraud – it was alleged that between April and May last year he allegedly invoiced the company N$19 682 for a flight for himself and his wife to Botswana ‘under the assumption that the travel was for official purposes’.At the time it was reported that Haimbili had his wife’s flight costs deducted from his salary.The Board also claimed that Haimbili had ordered an increase on his cellphone airtime limit contrary to TransNamib policies. The last charge was that he had allegedly abused his position ‘to secure a favourable rental agreement’ for a TransNamib house he was occupying while his own house was being renovated.Daniels dismissed all those charges.Haimbili’s suspension last year led to a national strike by Trans-Namib workers and the parastatal’s financial losses ran into millions.christof@namibian.com.na